Buoy, Oh Buoy: UTC Ships Floating Giant to Colombia

By Simon West

UTC Overseas has successfully completed the transport of a massive Single Point Mooring (SPM) CALM buoy from Dubai to the Port of Santa Marta, Colombia.

The 322-ton unit, measuring roughly 16 meters long and 17 meters wide, will serve as an offshore mooring and crude oil offloading terminal, bolstering Colombia’s offshore oil and gas infrastructure, UTC said. The buoy was shipped as breakbulk cargo alongside a 20-foot container of spare parts and tools.

Specialized equipment and engineering were critical for the operation, UTC said, with the buoy lifted in Dubai using a DD2000 Sheer Leg Floating Crane and custom rigging including spreader beams, stoppers and a prefabricated grillage system for safe ocean transit.

UTC carried out detailed planning ahead of the move, including vessel stability checks, rigging analysis and code compliance reviews. Site visits, pre-lift risk assessments, and Marine Warranty Surveyor (MWS) oversight ensured the operation met strict technical and safety standards.

According to the U.S.-headquartered forwarder, lifting the buoy required precise planning due to the overhang of its top ring. This included detailed top-view drawings and spreader bar compatibility checks to ensure a safe, balanced lift. Other operational hurdles included berth constraints, demurrage risk due to port congestion, and compliance with a no-weld policy required for ABS certification.

On arrival in Colombia, the buoy was floated off directly into the water, ready for deployment as part of a larger offshore marine terminal system designed to enable tanker loading and unloading without port entry.

UTC’s Colombia office was supported by chartering lead Juha Karmanto and UAE agent Asian Tiger. UTC said the project highlighted the value of integrated engineering and logistics in delivering complex global transport projects.

“Throughout the project, UTC was responsible for a wide range of critical logistics and marine services. This included vessel nomination and chartering, coordination of marine engineering and surveyor approvals, export customs clearance at origin, and full oversight of destination float-off operations,” said UTC’s Ignacio Benedetti.

“UTC's team also led the development and validation of risk assessments, route surveys, method statements, rigging plans, export documentation, and local agent management. UTC’s project managers ensured seamless coordination across all stakeholders, maintaining clear communications and continuity of execution to prevent any disruptions.”

UTC Overseas will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Americas 2025.