Seatrium scoops Shell deep-water US floating production prize - Upstream Online
Seatrium scoops Shell ultra-deepwater US floating production prize | Upstream Online
Singapore offshore, marine and energy contractor Seatrium has secured a Letter of Intent for the floating production unit (FPU) for UK supermajor Shell’s ultra-deepwater Sparta field development in the US Gulf of Mexico.
Seatrium on Monday confirmed it had signed an LOI with Shell “to provide services to carry out construction work” relating to the Sparta project.
The FPU is conceived as a replicable project between Shell and Seatrium to leverage on the latter’s topsides single life integration methodology, following its construction of the newbuild facilities for Shell’s Vito and Whale projects, also in the US Gulf.
Sembcorp Marine — renamed Seatrium following its recent acquisition of compatriot Keppel Offshore & Marine — earlier won the contracts for both the Vito and Whale FPUs.
Shell and co-venturer Equinor of Norway are progressing towards later this year taking the final investment decision for the Sparta field, that is located approximately 170 miles (275 kilometres) off the coast of Louisiana.
The FPU for Sparta (formerly North Platte) will be able to process up to 100,000 barrels per day of oil and 40 million cubic feet per day of gas.
The platform will be located in 4350 feet of water and, despite its high oil and gas processing capacity, will have a lightweight topsides of about 9000 tonnes atop a hull of slightly heavier weight. The FPU will have accommodation for 60 people.
The facility will be based on a design by the Australian engineering house Worley, which is supporting Shell through the detailed design and follow-on phases of the project.
Sparta is an ultra-high pressure asset that will require specialist well, subsea and surface equipment to maintain control of production from a reservoir where pressures can hit 20,000 pounds per square inch.
Other major contracts for the project, which straddles four blocks in the Garden Banks area of the US Gulf, include the subsea production systems that have whetted the appetites of contractors including TechnipFMC and Subsea 7.
Seatrium’s final contract award, the value of which was not disclosed, is subject to the partners taking FID.
Shell operates Sparta with a 51% interest while Equinor has the remaining 49% stake.
Updated to include further details of the project.
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