Boskalis has completed a transatlantic towage operation, moving the FPSO Cidade de Niterói from the Campos Basin offshore Brazil to the port of Frederikshavn in Denmark, a journey that took approximately six weeks and required a bunkering stop along the way.

Twin Tugs Haul Massive Floating Production Vessel

The operation employed two sister vessels, the BOKA Alpine and the BOKA Glacier, both ocean-going tugs with a bollard pull of 205 metric tons each. The pair worked in tandem to move the Cidade de Niterói, designated MV18, across the Atlantic.

The FPSO measures 315 meters in length, making the tow a significant undertaking in terms of scale and the physical demands placed on the towing vessels over an extended ocean passage. Boskalis described the operation as a demonstration of the company's expertise in complex long-distance towing.

The voyage included a bunkering stop in Cape Verde before the vessel was delivered safely to Frederikshavn.

The total duration of the transit was approximately six weeks from departure in Brazil to arrival in Denmark.

MODEC Collaboration and Operational Coordination

The FPSO was transported in collaboration with MODEC, the company Boskalis credited in its account of the project. Boskalis noted that operations of this scale require careful preparation, close coordination, and teamwork sustained throughout the length of the voyage.

The company acknowledged the crews of the BOKA Alpine and the BOKA Glacier for their work during the transport. MODEC is a global provider of floating production systems, and the Cidade de Niterói has a history of operating in Brazilian waters.

The Campos Basin, where the FPSO had been stationed, is one of Brazil's most established offshore oil-producing regions, located off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state.

Route and Logistics of a Transatlantic Tow

The routing of the tow took the convoy from South America across the Atlantic, with Cape Verde serving as the intermediate stop for bunkering.

Cape Verde, an archipelago located in the central Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, is a commonly used waypoint for vessels making transatlantic passages between the Americas and Europe due to its geographic position along major shipping lanes.

From Cape Verde, the convoy continued northward toward Denmark, ultimately delivering the FPSO to Frederikshavn, a port city in the northern part of Jutland that serves as a base for offshore and maritime industry operations in the North Sea region.

Frederikshavn has established infrastructure for receiving large offshore vessels, making it a suitable destination for an FPSO of this size arriving for what is expected to be recycling, conversion, or other post-operational work.

Vessel Capabilities Central to the Assignment

The selection of the BOKA Alpine and BOKA Glacier for this assignment reflects the technical requirements of moving a vessel of the Cidade de Niterói's dimensions across the open ocean.

At 205 metric tons of bollard pull each, the two tugs together provided substantial pulling capacity suited to managing a 315-meter FPSO across varied sea conditions over a multi-week passage.

Boskalis described the strength, endurance, and reliability of the sister vessels as qualities that made them ideally suited for the assignment. Long-distance ocean towing of decommissioned or repositioned offshore assets presents distinct challenges compared to shorter port or coastal tows, including weather routing, maintaining tow line integrity, and sustaining crew operations over extended periods at sea.

Boskalis and the Heavy Marine Transport Market

Boskalis operates across a range of marine services, including dredging, offshore energy, and towage and salvage. Its towage fleet, operating under the BOKA brand among others, handles both offshore support work and long-distance transport assignments such as the Cidade de Niterói operation.

Transatlantic tows of large offshore structures represent a niche but demanding segment of the marine transport industry, requiring vessels with high bollard pull ratings and the logistical capability to sustain a voyage across thousands of nautical miles.

The delivery of the FPSO to Denmark adds to Boskalis' portfolio of completed long-distance towage projects.

The Cidade de Niterói, having operated in the Campos Basin, joins a number of FPSOs that have been relocated from Brazilian waters in recent years as operators manage aging assets, reposition units for new contracts, or prepare vessels for decommissioning and recycling processes in European facilities equipped to handle such work.