Xin-Guang-Hua

The 40,335 mt hull was loaded onto the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel near Geoje Island, South Korea, on August 6, 2017. The hull is intended for the oil and gas company’s Appomattox deep-water project in the Gulf of Mexico, located 130 kilometers off Louisiana. It is en route to Ingleside, Texas, where the remaining construction work is expected to be completed. The Appomattox development will initially produce from the Appomattox and Vicksburg fields, with average peak production estimated to reach approximately 175,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe/d) per day. Currently, the 2016-built Xin Guang Hua is sailing in the South China Sea. According to data provided by VesselsValue, the ship is expected to reach its destination at the beginning of October. World Maritime News

Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers Co. Ltd, a member of China Ocean Shipping Group, took delivery of China's newest and largest semi-submersible ship, the Xin Guang Hua, on Thursday Dec. 8, 2016, China's Xinhua news agency reported. The Xin Guang Hua was built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Company and is capable of handling 100,000 metric tons of cargo. The ship is 255 meters long and 68 meters wide, and is nearly as large as the Dockwise Vanguard, operated by the Dockwise subsidiary of Boskalis. Semi-submersible ships are mainly used to transport large cargo, such as offshore platforms for the oil and gas industry, and can also be used to move entire ships for salvage. For example, Dockwise's Blue Marlin was famously used to transport the USS Cole back to a U.S. shipyard for repairs after the Navy guided missile destroyer was disabled in a 2000 al-Qaeda terrorist attack in Aden harbor, YemenCosco Shipping Specialized Carriers has eight semi-submersible ships, with loading capacities ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 metric tons. Source: American Shipper