On August 26, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines announced that it had signed a tripartite agreement allowing its subsidiary SeaLoading to use a cargo transfer vessel (CTV), currently operated for TotalEnergies EP Brasil, for use by Shell Brasil Petróleo.
<CTV vessel "SeaLoader 1">
The CTV "SeaLoader 1" is chartered by TotalEnergies to transport crude oil produced at an FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) facility located in the Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil to tankers.
This agreement will also allow Shell to use the "SeaLoader 1" for loading its cargo.
Crude oil produced from the seabed at FPSOs is transported to demand centers by crude oil tankers. However, conventional crude oil tankers cannot receive crude oil directly from EPSOs because their hulls are affected by waves and wind.
Typically, a shuttle tanker with a fixed-point holding function receives crude oil, transports it to a calm sea area where cargo can be transferred from ship to ship, and then re-transships it onto a crude oil tanker.
On the other hand, a CTV can be connected between an FPSO and a crude oil tanker, allowing for direct transshipment of crude oil.
The Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group aims to promote the widespread use of CTV (Compressed Vehicle Transport), which can significantly reduce CO2 emissions and costs compared to conventional crude oil transfer using shuttle tankers.
