Bluewater Energy Services B.V. announced the purchase by Bluewater of the MT Hanne Knutsen tanker from Knutsen OAS Shipping AS. Delivery to Bluewater is expected to take place on or before June 30. The MT Hanne Knutsen was built in the Spanish shipyard Astilleros de Sestao and was delivered to Knutsen OAS Shipping AS in 2000. The vessel was designed as a typical North Sea shuttle tanker and has since been trading in Baltic ice regions and has also been in service as a shuttle tanker. The Hanne Knutsen has a storage capacity of 860,000 bbls cargo, and is a sister vessel of the Aasgaard C FSO.
The hull structure offers considerably higher strength than standard tankers and is rated Ice Class 1A which is ideal for harsh environments. The vessel is provided with a DP2 class Dynamic Positioning capability with bow and stern thrusters and two main-propellers combined with special rudders. The two large generators (8 MW each) are driven by the ship's two main diesel engines which can be used as electric power generation for future FPSO operations.