PARAMARIBO, SURINAME – Uncommon sight for Paramaribo as Normand Navigator, a subsea construction vessel, chartered by Saipem for TotalEnergies’ GranMorgu development, has arrived to carry out a seabed positioning campaign in Block 58.
The vessel is expected to spend approximately 50 days offshore deploying and calibrating a long baseline (LBL) positioning system. Using acoustic beacons placed on structures installed on the seabed, the network will provide highly accurate positioning data for offshore construction activities.
During an exclusive visit aboard the Normand Navigator, OilNOW observed more than 150 LBL stands secured on deck and prepared for deployment. Once installed, the structures will form an underwater positioning network like global positioning systems (GPS), helping vessels and subsea equipment determine their precise location on the seabed.
“The positioning reference system will be used by the vessels coming after us to this project,” the captain explained during the visit to the vessel. “It helps ensure that everything is installed in the exact location it is designed to be.”
The campaign will rely on two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), underwater robots capable of operating at depths of up to 3,000 meters. Equipped with cameras and robotic arms, the vehicles will assist with seabed operations and the deployment of the positioning system.
OilNOW also toured the vessel’s ROV hangar and control room, where operators monitor live video feeds and positioning data transmitted from subsea operations.
Built in 2015, the Norway-flagged Normand Navigator is 142.6 meters long. The vessel is equipped with a 350-ton offshore crane and dynamic positioning systems designed for complex subsea construction work. It currently has approximately 78 personnel onboard for the offshore operations.
The LBL stands being carried onboard the vessel are among the first subsea structures delivered to Suriname for the GranMorgu project earlier this year. Their deployment marks another milestone as offshore activities gather pace ahead of construction and installation work in the development area.
First subsea equipment for GranMorgu delivered to Suriname
The campaign represents one of the first offshore construction activities by Saipem for the GranMorgu development. Additional construction and support vessels are expected to join the project as work progresses toward first oil, currently targeted for 2028.
Located in Block 58 and operated by TotalEnergies with partner APA Corporation, GranMorgu is expected to produce between 200,000 and 220,000 barrels of oil per day and will be Suriname’s first offshore oil development.
