Boskalis’ largest semi-submersible heavy transport vessel, BOKA Vanguard has just completed its trip to the United States, hauling the 25,000-ton Whale FPU. The unit was delivered to Ingleside for Shell. 

Boskalis was on hand in March 2022 to move the Vito platform with its semi-submersible transport vessel Mighty Servant 1.

The Whale development will be the latest addition to Shell’s Gulf of Mexico portfolio. The FPU, comprising the topside module placed onto a four-column semi-submersible floating hull, weighs a staggering 25,000 tons in total.

The Whale development, owned by Shell Offshore (60 per cent, operator) and Chevron U.S.A. (40 per cent), is expected to reach peak production of approximately 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) and currently has an estimated, recoverable resource volume of 490 million boe. Whale will be Shell’s 12th deep-water host in the Gulf of Mexico and is currently scheduled to begin production in 2024.

The Whale production facility is in the Alaminos Canyon Block 773 and is adjacent to the Shell-operated Silvertip field, approximately 10 miles from the Shell-operated Perdido platform and approximately 200 miles southwest of Houston.