BW Opal FPSO Vessel set for Work off Australia

Seatrium delivered the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), BW Opal, to BW Offshore.

"We would like to express our appreciation to BW Offshore for entrusting Seatrium with their projects over the years," said Marlin Khiew, EVP, Energy (Americas), Seatrium. "The successful completion and delivery of BW Opal marks our 18th FPSO for BW Offshore."

Seatrium’s scope of work included installation and integration works of topside modules, deck equipment and the turret mooring system, as well as completion and commissioning support for BW Offshore. 

Marco Beenen, Chief Executive Officer, BW Offshore said, “Seatrium has once again proven to be a dependable partner in the delivery of the FPSO BW Opal. I would like to extend my gratitude to the project teams from Santos, BW Offshore and Seatrium for their outstanding work. We are confident the FPSO will deliver strong performance in the Barossa field.”

FPSO BW Opal is one of the largest FPSOs ever delivered to Australia and will be deployed at the Santos operated Barossa Field located 285 km offshore Darwin in northern Australia. The FPSO is designed with a gas handling capacity of 850 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) and 11,000 barrels per day of stabilised condensate. The FPSO is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% compared to traditional systems, translating to a reduction of up to 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the life of the asset.

Acquires FPSO Nganhurra

BW Offshore has also signed an agreement to acquire the FPSO Nganhurra, with redeployment of the unit expected before June 2027.

The purpose-built FPSO was constructed in 2006 and has a production capacity of 100,000 barrels per day and a storage capacity of 900,000 barrels. It operated offshore Western Australia until 2018 and was later laid up in Malaysia.

The unit’s mooring system supports operation across varied offshore conditions, enhancing flexibility and reducing costs for future redeployment.

“The acquisition of the FPSO Nganhurra represents a strategic decision to capitalise on a compelling market opportunity. Given the limited availability of suitable FPSOs for redeployment, securing this unit places BW Offshore in a strong, competitive position,” said Beenen.