BP is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the United States and an acknowledged leader and operator of some of the most prolific fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Now the company has constructed the Holstein truss spar, the largest ever built in the world.

Located in approximately 4,500 feet of water in Green Canyon Block 645, Holstein production began in December last year. The facility is designed to process approximately 110,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The Holstein truss spar was constructed in two yards - in Finland and the US. The dry tow from Finland was followed by a launch and wet mating prior to wet tow to site.

Notable firsts. There are a number of notable firsts on this project. For example, Holstein is the largest truss spar hull and mooring system in the world, and involved the first-ever use of a spar-supported riser tension system.
The Holstein field was discovered in 1999, located in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, approximately 150 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana. The project was sanctioned in 2001 and first oil was obtained in 2004.

DNV verification. DNV has been involved all the way in following up the engineering; concept, detailed engineering, construction, transportation of the hard tank, wet mating of the truss and hard tank, towing of the hull to the field, and installation of the hull, mooring system and suction piles.

In addition, DNV has carried out risk analyses regarding: blow-out from the risers during production, installation and workovers, work related to the lifting and installation of the topside, and blow-out during drilling operations. An extensive third-party review of the documentation and verification analysis was also carried out for the platform’s top-tensioned production risers and the export oil and gas steel catenary risers.