First Subsea Completes Goliat Bend Stiffener Connections

First Subsea has successfully completed the installation of bend stiffener connections for gas lift and production risers, power cables and umbilicals, for the Goliat FPSO in the Norwegian Barents Sea. Operated by ENI Norge AS, the Goliat FPSO is the first offshore oil development in Norway's Arctic region, in the Barents Sea.

In total the Goliat FPSO features 11 Type II bend stiffener connections (BSC) at present, with a further 10 receptacle I-tubes pre-installed within the base of the vessel, enabling more tie-backs to be added as field production increases. The Type II BSC was selected for the Goliat tie-backs because the receptacle has no moving parts, enabling a simpler riser, umbilical or cable connection.

The First Subsea Type II BSC comprises a ball and taper connector attached to a bend stiffener, which is pulled into a pre-machined I-tube. The connector is self-energising and self-aligning, and features First Subsea’s Automatic Release Clamp (ARC) enabling both diverless and ROVless bend stiffener connections.