Por onde anda? BGL 1
Also available in Portuguese
Precisely because she was a working asset, not a showcase unit, what followed stands out: after years of intense activity, the barge entered a prolonged period of inactivity, remaining for long stretches at Estaleiro Inhaúma in Guanabara Bay before being acquired by Super Braço in 2019 and later undergoing interventions at the Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro.Read in Portuguese →In the middle of Carnival in Brazil, while many people were joining the street parades… a 1,000-ton crane barge decided to leave.
After years practically motionless, BGL 1 departed the pier at Cais da Ilha das Cobras without announcement, without statement and without, at least for now, a clear explanation.
A discreet move for an asset far too large to go unnoticed — especially one that had long been part of the landscape seen from our office on Avenida Rio Branco, Rio de Janeiro.
Built in Japan by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and delivered in 1977 already linked to contracts with Petrobras, BGL 1 was never just another offshore construction asset.
For decades, she operated as one of the main pipe-laying and heavy-lift barges in Brazilian waters, directly supporting the expansion of the country’s subsea infrastructure. With 1,000-ton lifting capacity, dynamic positioning and a configuration tailored for offshore construction campaigns, she built a track record few assets can match — pipeline installation, structural supports, complex removals, shallow-water interventions and special projects.
This article was produced by Westhon Media for One Energy News.