February 15, 2013
As we wrote last November, Teekay Offshore Partners agreed to acquire a HiLoad Dynamic Positioning unit from Remora, a Norway-based offshore marine technology company. The HiLoad DP is a cost effective, flexible and safe solution that allows for offshore loading onto any conventional tanker. It’s an exciting addition to Teekay’s offshore capabilities – and today we have an exclusive first look.
Years of technical expertise has made the HiLoad DP possible, but to tell the truth, it was essentially copied from nature. The design of the 2010-built unit was inspired by one of the world’s most fascinating creatures, the Remora. The Remora is a fish that employs suction to attach itself to larger creatures such as sharks and whales – a skill Teekay’s new HiLoad DP effectively mimics to interact with conventional tankers.
As a self-propelled dynamic positioning system, it is able to attach to and keep tankers in position when loading oil from offshore installations. This innovative process allows conventional tankers to transport the oil long haul directly to the refinery, with no need for a shuttle tanker.
Click here for our Remora HiLoad photo set.