Harland and Wolff is looking beyond the current generation of floating production and drilling vessels, challenging conventional norms and methodology and undertaking design studies into new concepts in offshore engineering which will support the economic recovery of oil and gas in the future.

This has included a substantial development activity on the FOBOX - a new generation drilling, production and storage vessel which can offer any combination within the parameters of drilling, production and storage operations.
The underlying design philosophy behind the FOBOX combines the most desirable advantages of both the semi-submersible and ship-based systems into a single unit which offers oil companies cost effective solutions for the development of oil and gas fields in severe environmental conditions and / or water depths up to 3,000m.
The patented purpose designed damping skirt surrounding the submerged element of the structure gives improved motions and performance characteristics and ensures that operability shall be similar to existing semi-submersible rigs. The design has been extensively tank tested to optimise the skirt design and overall motion characteristics, resulting in an overall design which is extremely cost efficient.

The unique combination of owner preferred drilling technology with production, storage and offloading capabilities, offers oil companies a highly versatile unit with multiple applications contained within a hull form which is not only cost competitive with, but also embodies the performance characteristics of, a conventional semi-submersible drilling rig.
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