Crowley Tugs Deliver Huge Olympus Platform

Four of Crowley Maritime Corp’s ocean class tugboats , the 'Ocean Wind', 'Ocean Wave', 'Ocean Sky' and 'Ocean Sun', recently completed the successful delivery of the offshore oil production and drilling platform, Olympus, to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The project was significant because it provided the first opportunity for all four of the company's new high-bollard-pull, ocean class tugboats to work together on any single job. The rig, owned by Royal Dutch Shell, is also considered the largest tension-leg platform ever to be developed for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The Crowley ocean class tugs worked together in both nearshore and offshore waters to relocate the 120,000-ton, 406-ft. tall tension-leg platform from Ingleside, Texas, 425 miles to its deepwater location in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

“These specialized tugboats have proven themselves as workhorses for our valued upstream energy customers and for companies and government entities needing long-range, high-capacity, ocean towing along with salvage and emergency response support,” said Crowley’s Todd Busch , senior vice president and general manager, technical services. “They are truly solidifying our standing as an industry leader in ocean towing, salvage and offshore marine support.”

The Olympus, which was constructed in South Korea, features 24-slot drilling units and a deck large enough to process crude from a six-well subsea development on site. Outfitted with 15,000 psi-rated trees, the platform will concentrate on high-pressure reservoirs that range in depths ranging from 20,000 to 22,000 ft. The expectation is that the Olympus will produce and process 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day once operating at full capacity.