Japan’s MODEC said on Tuesday it has been awarded the full engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract to deliver a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for ExxonMobil’s Hammerhead oil project offshore Guyana.
The award, which follows a final investment decision by ExxonMobil Guyana, marks MODEC’s second FPSO contract in the South American nation. The company is also building the Errea Wittu vessel for the Uaru development.
MODEC received a limited notice to proceed in April 2025, enabling early design work while Exxon awaited project approvals for Hammerhead. Phase One, covering front-end engineering and design, has been completed, and the company has now advanced into full execution planning under Phase Two.
“We are honored to be entrusted with the full EPCI scope for Hammerhead,” Soichi Ide, head of MODEC’s Floating Production Solutions unit, said. “Building on the strong progress we’ve made on the Uaru project, this milestone further underscores the momentum of our collaboration.”
The Hammerhead FPSO is expected to begin operations in 2029, subject to regulatory clearance. It will be designed to produce about 150,000 barrels of oil per day and handle associated gas and water. The plan includes a pipeline to connect to the Gas-to-Energy pipeline so gas can be transported to shore. The FPSO will be moored in waters about 1,025 meters deep using a SOFEC spread mooring system.
As with Uaru, MODEC will also provide ExxonMobil with 10 years of operations and maintenance services once Hammerhead reaches first oil.
Guyana, the world’s fastest-growing new oil province, has become central to ExxonMobil’s production growth. The Hammerhead field is one of several developments sanctioned in the Stabroek Block, where output is expected to climb to 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030.
