Chinese shipyard, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS), said it completed and delivered the fourth generic Fast4ward® Multi Purpose Floater (MPF4) Hull to SBM Offshore on April 5.
MPF4 adopted SBM Offshore’s proprietary generic hull design following the previous three MPF hulls which were all completed and delivered by SWS. The concept is an FPSO with a storage capacity up to 2.3 million barrels of crude oil. The generic MPF is equipped with a spread point mooring system that allows the hull to be used in a wide range of sea conditions such as those in West Africa, South America and Brazil.
The steel cutting of MPF4 was held in September 2021.The project was completed successfully based on the long-term collaboration on former MPF projects between SWS and SBM Offshore, SWS said.
MPF4 will sail away from SWS according to schedule.
After completing work on the fourth hull, SWS also started construction on the fifth generic Fast4Ward® Multi Purpose Floater (MPF5) Hull awarded on April 4, which has the same proprietary design from SBM Offshore. MPF5 will start keel-laying in dock this year.
SBM Offshore and ExxonMobil Guyana had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which granted exclusivity to Exxon over the next multi-purpose floater hull for a future Guyana FPSO. It is likely that one of the mentioned hulls are Guyana-bound, for use in Exxon’s proposed Whiptail project.
