Chinese state-owned Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), the company contracted by SBM Offshore to build the Fast4WardTM hull for the Liza Unity FPSO, has officially launched its offshore engineering arm, Waigaoqiao Qingdong Offshore Engineering Company, located at Qidong ship industrial park, Jiangsu.
Seatrade Maritime News reports that Waigaoqiao Qidong Offshore Engineering is to focus on ship equipment and non-shipbuilding businesses. The company will be the platform for SWS to develop ocean economy and marine science and technology.
At the beginning of this year, SWS announced its 2019 operation plans, and emphasized that the company will strengthen the business development of commercial ships, offshore engineering and cruise ships. The main business of SWS covers design, construction and repair of marine vessels and offshore products.
OilNOW has reported that the Liza Unity, destined for the ExxonMobil-led consortium’s giant Liza Development project offshore Guyana, is currently in the engineering and procurement phase. SBM Offshore is in the final stages of completing the Liza Destiny, set to be delivered to Guyana in Q3 2019 for Phase 1 of the Liza Development Project.
The Liza Unity will be built following sanctioning of the Liza Phase 2 Development project, set to get underway by 2022. The project is expected to be sanctioned during the first quarter of this year. The Unity design incorporates SBM Offshore’s new build, multi-purpose hull combined with several standardized topsides modules. The FPSO will be designed to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day, will have associated gas treatment capacity of 400 million cubic feet per day and water injection capacity of 250,000 barrels per day. The FPSO will be spread moored in water depth of about 1,600 meters and will be able to store around 2 million barrels of crude oil.
