Glas Dowr
The ’Glas Dowr’ is the fifth Bluewater designed, built, owned and operated Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) installation. It is producing at the Kitan Field off northwest Australia for client oil company ENI JPD.
Instead of converting a second-hand oil tanker to a FPSO, like Bluewater did with the four previous FPSO conversions, the Glas Dowr FPSO was converted from a newly built oil tanker. While under construction in Japan for a tanker owner in 1995, Bluewater intercepted, but completely finished, the Glas Dowr as a trading oil tanker.
Newly built oil tanker Glas Dowr sailing under own propulsion power to conversion yard
The Glas Dowr sailed under its own propulsion power to the Harland & Wolf shipyard in Belfast (Northern Ireland) for hull steel conversion, while the ABB-designed oil & gas processing modules were under construction at Heerema Hartlepool (England).
The Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit (FPSO) has a strong, reliable and high capacity turret, field proven for North Sea conditions. The process equipment is suitable for a wide range of oil products, from condensate to heavy oil types, suitable for high CO2 content, thanks to the outfitting of exotic materials (duplex).
The hull is strengthened for lifetime extension. Offloading can be carried out to conventional tanker and/or shuttle (bow loading) tanker.
Accommodation is made fit for tropical conditions. The Glas Dowr has a large lay down area with cranes at both sides of FPSO.
Presence of Fast Rescue Crafts at both sides reduce necessity of vessel support.
Topsides processing modules installation and integration took place in Teesside (England)
FPSO Glas Dowr first commenced operations in August 1997 on the Durward & Dauntless Fields on the UK part of the continental shelf of the North Sea for client oil company Amerada Hess.
After 2000, FPSO Glas Dowr moved from the UK to South Africa for a field-specific conversion. She operated from 2003 until 2008 on the Sable Field in the very harsh environment of the South Atlantic, south of South Africa, for oil company Soekor E & P.
Glas Dowr FPSO Producing
In 2011, Bluewater completed the conversion of FPSO Glas Dowr at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore to prepare the FPSO for operations in the Kitan Field. First oil was achieved on 14 October 2011. The Kitan field is located some 500 km off the Australian northwest coast, in an area of the Timor Sea.
