Dutch floater specialist SBM Offshore could be close to an agreement with Chinese yard China Merchant Heavy Industry (CMHI) for construction of another new hull for a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) under its Fast4Ward® design, according to an October 10 report from Upstream.
Sources told Upstream a commercial contract could be signed as early as this month, although they do not expect first steel to be cut until March next year. They added that SBM is seen as likely to offer the new unit in the forthcoming tender to be launched by Brazil’s Petrobras to develop the Mero 3 pre-salt project in the Santos basin.
The 220,000 barrels per day Liza Unity FPSO is one of three oil production platforms currently being built under SBM Offshore’s Fast4Ward® programme.
The FPSO will be spread moored in water depth of about 1,600 meters at ExxonMobil’s Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, and will be able to store around 2 million barrels of crude oil.
