SBM Offshore awarded FEED contracts for Whiptail FPSO project offshore Guyana
(WO) – SBM Offshore has been awarded contracts to perform Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) associated with the Whiptail development project offshore Guyana.
SBM Offshore will design and construct the FPSO using its Fast4Ward® program using the company’s seventh new build, Multi-Purpose Floater hull, combined with several standardized topsides modules. The FPSO will be designed to produce 250,000 boed, will have associated gas treatment capacity of 540 MMcfd and water injection capacity of 300,000 bpd. The FPSO will be spread moored in water depth of about 1,630 m and will be able to store around 2 MMbbl of crude oil.
The FEED contract award triggers the initial release of funds by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited to begin FEED activities and commits a Fast4Ward hull for the execution of the Whiptail development project offshore Guyana.
Under the contracts, the FPSO’s ownership is expected to be transferred to the client at the end of the construction period and before start of operations offshore Guyana. The construction costs are expected to be partially funded by senior loans which will be repaid at the time of the FPSO’s transfer to the client.
SBM Offshore is expected to operate the FPSO through its integrated operations and maintenance model, combining SBM Offshore and ExxonMobil’s expertise and experience, leveraging key learnings and the operational excellence of the units currently deployed in Guyana.
Building on the experience to date of FPSOs Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity and ONE GUYANA, SBM Offshore continues to commit to local content development in Guyana by sourcing fabrication scope locally and integrating Guyanese engineers into the execution and operational teams.
