Boskalis of the Netherlands Completes Loading of 41,000-Tonne Offshore Drilling Rig

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 11, the Netherlands-based Boskalis disclosed that its semi-submersible heavy transport vessel BOKA Vanguard had completed the loading of the offshore drilling rig Transocean Endurance in Singapore, and would subsequently undertake the cross-country transport of the equipment to Norway. The drilling rig weighs approximately 41,000 tonnes and measures 116 meters in length and 97 meters in width. As the cargo width exceeds the vessel's deck width, the transport team specially designed an overhanging loading solution and an offshore securing system to meet structural and stability requirements during the long-distance voyage.

With an overall length of 275 meters, BOKA Vanguard is the largest vessel in Boskalis's heavy offshore transport fleet. After a hull-widening modification, its beam now exceeds 80 meters, yet it still cannot fully accommodate the 97-meter-wide drilling rig. This transport uses the semi-submersible loading method, in which the vessel lowers its deck height through its ballast system so that large offshore equipment can float onto the vessel, after which transport preparations are completed by adjusting the ballast condition. For the portion extending beyond the deck edge, the engineering team needed to comprehensively consider the cargo's center of gravity, sea-state loads, and the forces on the securing structures in order to develop a dedicated lashing plan.

According to vessel tracking information, BOKA Vanguard departed Singapore on October 19, 2026, bound for Ølen, Norway, and is expected to arrive on December 9. This transport involves not only the offshore transfer of a large drilling rig but also the coordination of operations including loading, hull ballasting, cargo securing, and unloading at the destination port.

Transocean Endurance is a semi-submersible offshore drilling rig. After arriving in Norway, it will be used for local offshore oil and gas drilling operations. Transocean previously disclosed that the rig will participate in a two-year drilling contract arrangement in Norway, with the related operations expected to commence in the second quarter of 2027.