Seatrium will build and install Shell-furnished equipment, including the hull, topsides and living quarters on the Sparta FPSU, which will be placed in the Garden Banks area of the US Gulf of Mexico, around 275km off the coast of Louisiana
Singapore-based shipbuilding and repairing company Seatrium has secured a contract from Shell Offshore for the Sparta semi-submersible Floating Production Unit (FPU).
Sparta Development provided by Shell Offshore. (Credit: Shell Offshore Inc)
The award of the contract follows a Letter of Intent (LoI) between Shell Offshore and Seatrium, through its subsidiary Seatrium Oil and Gas International, signed in August last year.
Under the terms of the contract, Seatrium will build and install Shell-furnished equipment, including the hull, topsides and living quarters on the Sparta FPSU.
The FPU, measuring 4,300ft2, will be placed in the Garden Banks area of the US Gulf of Mexico, around 275km off the coast of Louisiana.
It will feature a single topside supported by a four-column, semi-submersible floating hull and is anticipated to produce 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d).
Seatrium executive vice president and international oil and gas head William Gu said: “We are deeply honoured that Shell has awarded Sparta, the third FPU newbuild, to Seatrium, following the successful deliveries of the Vito and Whale FPUs.
“We are fully committed to executing the project well, including the single lift operation and fabrication of the FPU to meet its 20,000-psi design for use in harsh weather conditions, and delivering the unit to Shell safely and efficiently.”
Seatrium provides engineering solutions to the marine, offshore and energy sectors, and specialises in safely assembling topsides at ground level, which minimises risk for workers.
The engineering company will leverage its advanced Goliath twin cranes, which can lift up to 30,000 tonnes, to integrate and lift the two-level topside for Sparta FPU to the hull.
Seatrium said that it is equipped with advanced technology and is well-positioned to deliver high-quality EPIC services for fixed and floating production platforms and subsea developments.
The Sparta FPU is considered a replicable project between both Shell and Seatrium.
The project will leverage Seatrium’s topsides, and single lift integration methodology, following the Vito and Whale newbuilds, and benefit from operational synergies.
