Fast and reliable mooring line repair on an FPSO

Scope of work

The operations began with equipment mobilisation at InterMoor’s shore base at Açu port, involving a collaborative effort from Intermoor and other logistics partners. The mobilisation benefited from Intermoor’s Açu base’s 24/7 marine access and 295 ft (90 m) of available quayside. The repair was quickly and safely completed. 

Following the completion of operations on the first set of mooring lines, the customer requested a subsequent campaign to replace the entire length of the chain. During this second campaign, the crew replaced the polyester rope and the first section of the bottom chain. This task required constant and precise communication between the FPSO and the Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) to control the length of the pull-in wire and ensure the polyester rope did not lay on the seabed, despite the shallow 20-metre depth. Despite the complexity, the operation was completed without incidents or delays.   

To conclude the scope of work, the crew also replaced the first section of the bottom chain from one of the mooring lines with a new chain. Despite the significant challenge of managing a heavy section of chain hanging from the vessel’s stern roller, the operation was successfully completed. 

Innovations in action 

Intermoor’s engineers custom designed an IM® H-Link to join both ends of the mooring chain. They provided a complete package including design, fabrication and installation that ensured a single interface for faster execution.   

The result 

The team successfully overcame several technical challenges and safely achieved the customer’s objective to ensure fast and reliable repair of the mooring lines. Professional delivery guaranteed safe station-keeping, returned the FPSO to its original operational condition, and minimised the impact on production.  

The FPSO captain further confirmed that all three mooring lines were tensioned to meet project specifications.