More reports of vessels being damaged at Cosco (Nantong) Shipyard in Qidong China in the wake of Typhoon Muifa have emerged.
US-listed energy company Kosmos Energy confirmed an incident at the yard involving a floating production, storage and offloading vessel newbuilding.
“During the typhoon, the mooring lines of the FPSO became compromised, resulting in the vessel drifting approximately 200 meters off the quayside,” Kosmos Energy said.
“Work is underway to enable the vessel to return to the quayside. No injuries have been reported in connection with this incident.
“The cost of returning the vessel to the quayside and any potential damage is expected to be covered by insurance,” the company added.
Kosmos Energy said it was informed of the incident by BP, the operator of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas project in Mauritania and Senegal.
TradeWinds’ sister publication recently reported that the Cosco shipyard had completed construction of the FPSO.
However, it is unclear at this stage if this incident will affect the sail-away date for the FPSO which is due to undergo sea trials in October.
The FPSO’s sail away has already been delayed by one quarter in part due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions that slowed operations and caused the late arrival of equipment.
Media reports have said the typhoon was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the populous Yangtze River Delta in a decade.
On Monday, TradeWinds reported that the world’s largest jack-up wind turbine installation vessel (WITV) newbuilding had also been damaged by the typhoon.
Belgium-based shipowner Jan de Nul said it was assessing the condition of the Voltaire after the vessel came loose from its moorings.
Jan De Nul said that during the night of 14 to 15 September, the eye of the typhoon passed over the shipyard, but that fortunately, no one was injured.
“Voltaire is now safely moored back in the shipyard and first-sight assessments show limited damage to certain parts of the crane and the helideck. Further assessments are ongoing,” the company said.
