VISEC – The design firm for converting the supertanker Cawthorne into an FSO

At the end of 2024, the Petroleum Shipbuilding and Industry Company Limited (PVSM), formerly Dung Quat Shipbuilding Industry Company (DQS), carried out the conversion of the “giant” Cawthorne – one of the largest crude oil tanker – into a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO). This project requires high technology, complex technical processes, and especially an optimal design undertaken by Vietnam Shipbuilding Engineering Joint Stock Company – VISEC.

VISEC – The design intelligence behind the Cawthorne conversion

As the firm in charge of the conversion design, VISEC played a decisive role in converting this 318,000-ton oil tanker into an international standard FSO. With extensive experience in ship design, VISEC has implemented optimization solutions to help PVSM complete the project on schedule and ensure the highest quality.

Technical challenges and design solutions of VISEC

With a length of 333m, if erected, the Cawthorne ship is nearly 3/4 as high as Landmark 81 building (currently the tallest building in Vietnam - 461.3m). The tonnage is about 318,000 tons, equivalent to the capacity of 16,000 20-ton tanker trucks.

Important design items include:

• Design of oil import/export system, optimization for installation location of storage platforms and specialized equipment.

• Calculation of the ship's hull structure, ensuring it can withstand the large load of the FSO operating system.

• Installation of an aircraft landing pad, suitable for aircraft from 9-12 tons, serving the operation.

• Processing, replacing and maintaining pipelines, including seawater cooling systems, compressed air systems and oil transport systems.

• Anti-corrosion paint, protecting the ship's structure from the impact of the marine environment.

Thanks to VISEC's precise and optimal design, the conversion process went smoothly, helping PVSM hand over Cawthorne to the foreign shipowner on March 25, 2025, after just over 3 months of construction. This is a project that requires much higher techniques and technology than repairing and building a normal ship.

VISEC – Affirming its position in the ship design industry

As one of the leading ship design firms in Vietnam, VISEC not only participates in oil tanker conversion projects but also plays an important role in the design and construction supervision of many different types of ships, from cargo ships, cruise ships, specialized ships to offshore structures.

The Cawthorne project is a clear demonstration of VISEC's outstanding design capacity, helping to enhance Vietnam's position in the shipbuilding and oil and gas industry. With the success of this project, VISEC continues to affirm its pioneering role in providing optimal design solutions, meeting the increasing demands of the maritime and offshore energy industries.