"Beihai New Hope", China's first dynamic positioning shuttle tanker, can greatly improve the efficiency of oil and gas turnover and reduce operating costs. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

China's first dynamic positioning shuttle tanker, "Beihai New Hope", was delivered to Qidong, a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province, on July 13. It will set off on its first journey at theLingshui 17-2 gas field in the South China Sea.

Dynamic positioning shuttle tankers are designed to transport crude oil between offshore production platforms and land.

"Beihai New Hope" is the first dynamic positioning shuttle tanker to be independently designed and developed by a Chinese shipowner – Qidong COSCO Shipping Offshore. It will provide domestic transportation services in the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) system.

The ship is 137 meters long, 22.8 meters wide, and 12.5 meters deep, with a cargo tank capacity of 18,000 cubic meters. Its designed speed is 13 knots.

The ship is equipped with an advanced dynamic positioning system, a bow loading, and a highly automated central control system, enabling it to position amid a complex deep sea environment, quickly connect to the oil hose from offshore production platforms, and receive crude oil.

It will serve the Shenhai (Deep-sea) No 1 energy station, the world's first 100,000-ton deep-water semi-submersible oil production and storage platform independently built by China.