Boskalis BOKA completed the transatlantic tow of the FPSO Cidade de Niterói (MV18) from the Campos Basin, off the coast of Brazil, to Frederikshavn, Denmark. The company used two of its ocean-going tugs, the BOKA Alpine and the BOKA Glacier, for the operation.
The operation took MODEC’s former production unit across the Atlantic after completing its operational phase in Brazilian waters. The journey lasted approximately six weeks and included a stop in Cape Verde to refuel before continuing on to northern Europe.
Boskalis uses the BOKA Alpine and BOKA Glacier to tow the FPSO
Each of Boskalis’ two tugboats has a bollard pull of 205 metric tons, this capacity allowed them to handle the transport of a considerable structure, the FPSO Cidade de Niterói measures 315 meters in length.
Furthermore, an operation of this distance requires prior planning and constant coordination between the vessels involved. Boskalis specifically highlighted the power, endurance, and reliability of both tugboats as key factors for carrying out the mission.
The company also highlighted the work of the crews during transport and the coordination maintained with MODEC throughout the operation.
A six-week journey from the Campos Basin
The starting point was in the Campos basin, one of the areas Brazil’s offshore oil companies from there, the tugboats began the transfer of the FPSO towards Europe and made a refueling stop in Cape Verde.
Subsequently, the convoy continued towards Denmark until reaching Frederikshavn, the journey represents a long-distance transfer for a floating installation that for years was linked to the production of oil and gas in Brazilian waters.
The arrival in Denmark also marks a new stage for the unit after the closure of its operational cycle in the Marlim Leste field.
The FPSO Cidade de Niterói has operated for Petrobras since 2009
The FPSO Cidade de Niterói (MV18) it began operating in February 2009 in the Marlim Leste oil field of Petrobras, located in the Campos Basin, its charter contract ended in May 2026.
MODEC was in charge of the engineering, acquisition, construction, installation and commissioning of the unit.
During its productive phase, the FPSO had the capacity to process 100,000 barrels of oil per day and 124 million standard cubic feet of gas per day it could also store up to 1.6 million barrels of crude oil.
After completing its offshore service, the unit was transferred to the Modern American Recycling Services Europe facility in Frederikshavn to continue with the next phase of its life cycle.
The towing operation carried out by the BOKA Alpine and the BOKA Glacier thus completes the intercontinental transfer of an FPSO that remained linked for more than 17 years to the oil operations of Marlim Leste.
Source: Offshore Energy
Photo: Boskalis
