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Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Project Cargo, Heavy-Lift and Module Carriers glossary

The heavy-lift and project-cargo vocabulary: the multipurpose operators and their vessel classes (AAL A-Class), tandem heavy-lift crane work, and the stowage and lift-planning terms for oversize and project cargo. Grounds each term in the heavy-lift vessel or the project-cargo operation it belongs to.

322 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

AAL Antwerp
A-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel in the AAL Shipping fleet, rigged with twin cranes for tandem heavy-lift work.
AAL Brisbane
A-Class heavy-lift multipurpose vessel deployed by AAL Shipping on Asia-Australia and Asia-Middle East routes.
AAL Class A
AAL Shipping's largest-generation 31,000 dwt multipurpose heavy-lift design with twin heavy-lift cranes capable of tandem lifts.
AAL Class G
AAL Shipping's mid-generation multipurpose heavy-lift class with twin cranes.
AAL Class S
Smaller multipurpose heavy-lift class in the AAL Shipping fleet for regional project work.
AAL Dampier
A-Class MPP vessel in AAL Shipping's Asia-Australia trade, configured for project, breakbulk and bulk cargo.
AAL Fremantle
A-Class AAL Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel serving Australasian project trades.
AAL Galveston
A-Class AAL Shipping vessel operating in the trans-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico project sector.
AAL Gladstone
A-Class AAL Shipping heavy-lift multipurpose vessel.
AAL Hong Kong
A-Class AAL Shipping MPP vessel on the Asia-Pacific liner service.
AAL Houston
A-Class AAL Shipping vessel deployed in trans-Atlantic project trades.
AAL Kembla
A-Class AAL Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
AAL Melbourne
A-Class AAL Shipping MPP heavy-lift vessel.
AAL Newcastle
A-Class AAL Shipping heavy-lift vessel operating Asia-Australia services.
AAL Shanghai
A-Class AAL Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
AAL Shipping
Singapore-headquartered multipurpose and heavy-lift operator originating from Schoeller Holdings, running a fleet of A-Class, G-Class and S-Class MPP vessels on global liner trades.
AAL Singapore
A-Class AAL Shipping multipurpose vessel on Asia-Pacific liner services.
AAL Sydney
A-Class AAL Shipping vessel deployed on the Asia-Australia liner trade.
Aegir
In Old Norse seafaring tradition, the giant personifying the sea, invoked by Viking mariners.
Allseas
Swiss-Dutch offshore contractor operating heavy lift and pipelay vessels including Pioneering Spirit and Solitaire.
Allseas Audacia
Allseas-owned S-lay pipelay vessel converted from a bulk carrier in 2007.
Allseas Calamity Jane
Allseas trenching support vessel.
Allseas Fortitude
Allseas pipelay support vessel.
Allseas Highland Navigator
Allseas survey vessel.
Allseas Lorelay
Allseas pipelay vessel commissioned in 1986 for S-lay operations.
Allseas Oceanic
Allseas trenching support vessel.
Allseas Pioneering Spirit
Allseas-owned twin-hull installation vessel, the world's largest construction vessel at 477 m length and 124 m beam, designed for single-lift installation and removal of offshore platform topsides…
Allseas Solitaire
Allseas S-lay pipelay vessel of about 300 m length, long the world record holder for offshore pipeline length installed.
Altera Infrastructure
Bermuda-domiciled offshore midstream operator, formerly Teekay Offshore, operating shuttle tankers, FPSOs and FSOs.
Anaconda Cargo Handling System
BBC Chartering's twin-crane synchronized tandem-lift control system for heavy modules.
Antaeus Class
Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers heavy-lift series operating on Asia-Europe and Asia-Americas trades.
Apex Class
Spliethoff's A-Type multipurpose heavy-lift vessel class with twin cranes.
Atlantic Class
Briese-managed multipurpose heavy-lift vessel design used in BBC Chartering operations.

B

Barge Carrier
Vessel designed to load and discharge floating barges via float-on/float-off or lift-on/lift-off, sometimes used in project and module transport.
BBC Alaska
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Amazon
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Arctic
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Atlantic
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Balboa
BBC Chartering F-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Brazil
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Campana
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Carolina
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Chartering
Leer-based subsidiary of Briese Schiffahrt, the world's largest multipurpose and heavy-lift operator with a fleet of around 150 vessels deployed on global project liner services.
BBC Congo
BBC Chartering MPP vessel.
BBC Danube
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Elbe
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Emden
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Europe
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Finland
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Florida
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Fuji
BBC Chartering F-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Georgia
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Greenland
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Hawaii
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Houston
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Italy
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Japan
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Kibo
BBC Chartering F-Class MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Kimberley
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Kusro
BBC Chartering multipurpose vessel.
BBC Louisiana
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Manitoba
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Maple
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Mercury
BBC Chartering F-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Mississippi
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Mont Blanc
BBC Chartering F-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Nile
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Ohio
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Oregon
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Pacific
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Pearl
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Plata
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Rhine
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Rio
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Romania
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Russia
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Seattle
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Spring
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC St. Lawrence
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Steinhoeft
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Sweden
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Texas
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Thames
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Vermont
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Volga
BBC Chartering multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Wisconsin
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Xingang
BBC Chartering F-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
BBC Zarate
BBC Chartering MPP heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Fairy
Former Beluga Shipping MPP heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Fanfare
Former Beluga Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Fascination
Former Beluga Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Festival
Former Beluga Shipping MPP heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Foresight
Former Beluga Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Formation
Former Beluga Shipping MPP heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga Fusion
Former Beluga Shipping multipurpose heavy-lift vessel.
Beluga P-Class
Former Beluga Shipping P-series project carrier design.
Beluga Shipping
Bremen-based heavy-lift operator declared insolvent in 2011 after an accounting scandal, with parts of its fleet reorganized into Hansa Heavy Lift.
BigLift Baffin
BigLift Shipping B-Class heavy-lift vessel.
BigLift Barentsz
BigLift Shipping B-Class heavy-lift vessel equipped with two 800-tonne mast cranes for tandem heavy-lift work.
BigLift Bering
BigLift Shipping B-Class heavy-lift vessel.
BigLift Cygnus
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel equipped with two 900-tonne mast cranes for tandem heavy-lift operations.
BigLift Pegasus
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel of the Pegasus class with twin mast cranes.
BigLift Shipping
Amsterdam-based heavy-lift operator within the Spliethoff group, specializing in modules, offshore structures and heavy industrial cargo.
Black Marlin
Boskalis semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel of about 76 m beam, designed to transport up to roughly 75,000 tonnes of cargo by float-on/float-off.
Blue marlin
*Makaira nigricans*, a large pelagic billfish.
Bluewater Energy Services
Hoofddorp-based FPSO and SPM operator.
Bore
Finnish ro-ro and short-sea operator owned by Spliethoff group.
Boskalis
Dutch dredging and salvage major, parent of SMIT Salvage since 2010.
Boskalis Heavy Marine Services
Boskalis division operating the legacy Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-transport fleet.
Break-Coaming
Removable hatch coaming extension on MPP vessels allowing oversized cargo to project above deck level.
Breakbulk Carrier
General-purpose tweendecker designed for non-containerized packaged cargo such as steel products, machinery and project parcels.
Briese Heavylift
Heavy-lift division of Leer-based Briese Schiffahrt, operating the Wybcargo series of project carriers.
Briese Schiffahrt
Leer-based German shipowner and parent of BBC Chartering, with one of the world's largest multipurpose and heavy-lift fleets.
Bumi Armada
Malaysia-based offshore operator running FPSOs and offshore support vessels.
BW Catcher
BW Offshore FPSO operating on the Catcher field, UK North Sea.
BW Cidade de Sao Vicente
BW Offshore FPSO operating off Brazil.
BW LNG
Singapore-based LNG carrier and FSRU owner within the BW Group.
BW Offshore
Oslo-listed FPSO owner and operator with a fleet of converted and purpose-built production units.
BW Pioneer
BW Offshore FPSO, the first FPSO operating in the US Gulf of Mexico.

C

C-Lay
Continuous reel lay technique for flexible flowlines and umbilicals.
Cable Lay Vessel
Specialized vessel for installing subsea power and telecom cables, with carousel storage and tensioner systems.
Caribic
Combi Lift / Harren Group heavy-lift vessel of the Combi Dock series.
Castoro Sei
Saipem semi-submersible pipelay vessel commissioned in 1978, used on Blue Stream, Nord Stream, and other large-diameter projects.
Castorone
Saipem pipelay vessel of about 330 m length, configured for J-lay and S-lay deepwater installation.
CCNI
Chilean shipping line historically active in project cargo before container divestments.
Cement Carrier
Specialized self-discharging vessel for bulk cement, occasionally used in project supply chains for plant construction.
Combi Dock I
Harren-managed semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel of the Combi Dock series.
Combi Dock II
Harren-managed semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel.
Combi Dock III
Harren-managed semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel.
Combi Dock IV
Harren-managed semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel.
Combi Lift
Heavy-lift project carrier operator within the Harren Group, Bremen, specializing in semi-submersible Combi Dock tonnage.
Containment System
Total assembly of receptacles and packaging components that retain dangerous goods, central to IMDG Part 6 testing.
COSCO Friendship
Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel.
COSCO Heavy Transport
Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers business unit operating semi-submersible heavy-transport vessels.
Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers
Cosco subsidiary running multipurpose, heavy-lift, semi-submersible and pulp/wood-product vessels.

D

Davit Crane
Light-duty crane used on MPP vessels for stores and small parcels, distinct from main heavy-lift cranes.
Deck Cargo Vessel
Open-deck vessel designed for transport of oversized cargo on deck, often without cargo holds.
Deck Strength
Specified maximum load per square meter on a vessel's weather deck, critical for module loading.
DLV2000
McDermott derrick lay vessel built in 2016 for combined pipelay and heavy lift.
Dock Express
Dockwise-lineage semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel series.
Dockwise
Heavy-transport operator merged with Boskalis in 2013 and now operating as Boskalis Heavy Marine Services.
Dockwise Vanguard
Boskalis semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel of 275 m length and 70 m beam, with around 110,000 tonnes deadweight cargo capacity.
Drag Embedment Anchor
Traditional fluke anchor embedding by horizontal pull.
Dual-fuel engine
Engine running on both liquid and gaseous fuels (e.g., WinGD X-DF).

E

E-Type Class
Spliethoff E-Type multipurpose vessel class.
Eni
Italian integrated energy company, parent of Saipem until 2016 and customer for many heavy-lift and offshore projects.
Excelerate Energy
Texas-based FSRU pioneer with multiple regasification vessels operating worldwide.
Excelerate Excelsior
Excelerate Energy FSRU.
Excelerate Excelsior 2005
Excelerate Energy FSRU delivered in 2005.
Excelerate Exemplar
Excelerate Energy FSRU.
Excelerate Exquisite
Excelerate Energy FSRU.

F

Fairlane
Jumbo Shipping J-Class heavy-lift vessel with twin heavy-lift cranes.
Fairlift
Jumbo Shipping J-Class heavy-lift vessel.
Fairmaster
Jumbo Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Fairpartner
Jumbo Shipping J-Class heavy-lift vessel.
Fairplayer
Jumbo Shipping J-Class heavy-lift vessel rigged with two 900-tonne cranes for tandem heavy lifts.
FLNG
Floating liquefied natural gas facility; liquefaction and storage at sea.
FLNG Hilli Episeyo
Golar LNG FLNG conversion operating offshore Cameroon since 2018.
Float-Off
Cargo discharge operation in which a semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel submerges its deck to refloat a barge or floating structure.
Float-On
Reverse loading operation in which a floating cargo is positioned over the submerged deck of an HTV before deballasting.
Floating Crane
Heavy-lift crane vessel.
Floating Production Solutions
Yinson Holdings FPSO business unit.
Forte
Boskalis semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel of the T-Class.
FPSO
Floating production, storage and offloading unit; turret or spread moored.
FPSO Cidade de Itaguai
SBM Offshore FPSO operating offshore Brazil.
FPSO Cidade de Marica
SBM Offshore FPSO operating offshore Brazil.
FPSO Cidade de Saquarema
SBM Offshore FPSO operating offshore Brazil.
FPSO Liza Destiny
SBM Offshore FPSO operating in the Stabroek block, Guyana.
FPSO Liza Unity
SBM Offshore FPSO operating in the Stabroek block, Guyana.
FPSO Prosperity
SBM Offshore FPSO operating in the Stabroek block, Guyana.
FPSO Sepetiba
SBM Offshore FPSO operating offshore Brazil.
FSO
Floating storage and offloading unit, no processing.
FSRU
Floating storage and regasification unit for LNG import.

G

G-Class
AAL Shipping G-series multipurpose heavy-lift class.
Gantry crane
Rail-mounted gantry such as STS, RMG, or RTG.
Geared Vessel
Vessel equipped with its own cargo cranes or derricks, characteristic of most MPP heavy-lift carriers.
Golar LNG
Bermuda-based LNG shipping and FLNG company listed on Nasdaq.
Grasp Lifting
Tandem-lift technique using two cranes to handle long, heavy modules.
GTT
Gaztransport and Technigaz, French engineering company that licenses membrane LNG containment systems.
GTT Mark III
GTT membrane LNG containment system using stainless steel primary barrier with corrugations on insulation panels.
GTT NO96
GTT membrane LNG containment system using Invar primary and secondary barriers with plywood boxes filled with perlite.

H

Hagland Shipping
Norwegian short-sea operator running self-discharging bulk and MPP tonnage.
Hansa Heavy Lift
Hamburg-based heavy-lift operator that emerged from the Beluga remnants in 2011 and entered insolvency in 2018.
Happy Buccaneer
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel with twin cranes, long operated for module transport.
Happy Delta
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Happy Diamond
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel with twin mast cranes.
Happy Dover
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel equipped with two 900-tonne mast cranes for tandem heavy-lift operations.
Happy Dragon
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Happy Dynamic
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Happy Ranger
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Happy River
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Happy Rover
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Happy Sky
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel of the Sky class.
Happy Star
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel with twin mast cranes for tandem heavy lifts.
Happy Sun
BigLift Shipping heavy-lift vessel.
Harren & Partner
Bremen-based ship management group, parent of Combi Lift and majority owner of SAL Heavy Lift since 2017.
Hatch cover
Watertight cover over a cargo hatch.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries
South Korean shipbuilder constructing FPSOs, LNG carriers, FLNGs and heavy-lift conversions.
Heavy lift crane
Large capacity crane aboard a jack up or floating heavy lift vessel used for component change outs on operating turbines.
Heavy Lift Vessel
Semi submersible ship that floats under a wreck section for dry transport.
Heerema Marine Contractors
Leiden-based offshore contractor operating the world's largest semi-submersible crane vessels, including Thialf and Sleipnir.
Hermod
Heerema SSCV retired from service after decades of platform installation work.
HMM Project
HMM project cargo service line within HMM, formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine.
Hoegh Gallant
Hoegh LNG FSRU.
Hoegh Galleon
Hoegh LNG FSRU.
Hoegh Giant
Hoegh LNG FSRU.
Hoegh Grace
Hoegh LNG FSRU.
Hoegh LNG
Norwegian LNG shipping and FSRU operator with a fleet of regasification vessels deployed globally.
HTV
Heavy Transport Vessel, a semi-submersible cargo ship that can submerge its deck to load and discharge floating cargo.
Hua Hai Heavy Industry
Chinese heavy-lift shipowner operating multipurpose project carriers.

I

Industrial Maritime Carriers
US-based project carrier brand of Intermarine.
Intermarine
New Orleans-based multipurpose and heavy-lift operator on Americas and trans-Atlantic project trades.
Inverted Catenary
Mooring configuration used on some FPSO and FSRU turret systems.
IRPL
Industrial Reach Project Logistics, project freight forwarding category covering door-to-door movement of capital equipment.

J

J-Lay
Pipeline installation method that lowers pipe vertically through a tower for deepwater rigid lines.
Jacket Launch
Offshore operation in which a steel platform jacket is slid off a launch barge for upending and installation.
Jumbo Javelin
Jumbo Shipping heavy-lift vessel rigged with twin heavy-lift cranes.
Jumbo Jubilee
Jumbo Shipping heavy-lift vessel rigged with twin heavy-lift cranes for tandem operations.
Jumbo Kinetic
Jumbo Shipping heavy-lift vessel equipped with a single 1,800-tonne mast crane.
Jumbo Shipping
Schiedam-based Dutch heavy-lift specialist operating self-propelled heavy-lift vessels with tandem mast cranes including Jumbo Javelin and Jumbo Jubilee.
Jumbo Vision
Jumbo Shipping heavy-lift vessel.

K

K-Line
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, major LNG carrier operator with Moss and membrane fleet.
Knuckle Boom Crane
Articulating crane common on PSVs and CSVs.

L

Lift Plan
Engineered procedure governing crane selection, rigging, lashing and contingency for heavy-lift operations.
Liner Service
Scheduled trade route on which MPP and heavy-lift operators advertise sailings.
LO/LO
Lift-on/lift-off vessel operation.

M

Mast Crane
Pedestal-mounted heavy-lift crane characteristic of Jumbo and BigLift heavy-lift vessels, often deployed in tandem.
McDermott
US offshore contractor with limited offshore wind involvement; reference for context.
Mighty Servant 1
Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel, an early benchmark unit for float-on/float-off transport.
Mighty Servant 2
Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel lost in 1999.
Mighty Servant 3
Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-transport vessel that capsized off Angola in 2006 and was subsequently salvaged.
MODEC
Tokyo-based FPSO and FSO operator with units deployed offshore Brazil, West Africa and Asia.
Module Carrier
Vessel purpose-built or adapted to transport very large preassembled industrial modules such as refinery skids and LNG trains.
MPP
Multipurpose project vessel, a tweendecker built for breakbulk, project and bulk cargo with onboard cranes.
MPV
Multipurpose vessel, synonymous with MPP in heavy-lift and project trades.

N

NFE FSRU
New Fortress Energy FSRU.
Nordana
Copenhagen-based project carrier operating multipurpose and heavy-lift tonnage on global trades.
Nordana Project Carriers
Project carrier branding of Nordana.

O

Onego Shipping
Rotterdam-based operator of semi-bulk and project carriers.
OOS Gretha
OOS International accommodation and heavy-lift semi-submersible.
OOS International
Netherlands-based offshore operator running large semi-submersible accommodation and crane vessels.
OOS Tiradentes
OOS International accommodation and heavy-lift semi-submersible.
Open Hatch Vessel
Vessel design with hatchways the full width of the hold for vertical access to cargo, used for forest products and some project loads.

P

Petronas FLNG Dua
Petronas FLNG unit commissioned in 2020 for the Rotan field offshore Sabah.
Petronas FLNG Satu
Petronas PFLNG Satu, the world's first floating LNG production unit, commissioned in 2016 for the Kanowit field.
Pioneering Spirit
Allseas dual-hull heavy-lift and pipelay vessel of 382 m length, capable of S-lay and J-lay.
Pipelay Vessel
Specialist S-lay, J-lay or reel-lay construction vessel.
Prelude FLNG
Shell-operated FLNG unit, the world's largest floating offshore facility at 488 m length, delivered by Samsung Heavy Industries in 2017.
Project cargo
Heavy lift or oversized cargo for projects.
Project Carrier
Multipurpose vessel optimized for project cargo, typically with reinforced tank tops, removable tweendecks and heavy-lift cranes.