Italian oilfield services company Saipem announced that it has completed the first complex subsea structure ever built in Guyana, describing it as a milestone for the country’s local content initiative.
The Pipeline End Termination (PLET), manufactured at the Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase, will be part of the subsea system transporting gas from the Uaru floating production vessel back into the reservoir for re-injection, a process designed to avoid the release of greenhouse gases.
Uaru is the fifth Guyana offshore development by ExxonMobil, targeting first oil production in 2026 at a design rate of 250,000 barrels per day (b/d).
“The structure, built at the Vreed En Hoop Logistics Base (VEHSI), is the first of its kind to be manufactured locally, an achievement obtained thanks to intensive training programs that have enabled the development of local skills and the creation of job opportunities in a highly specialized sector,” Saipem said in a September 30 LinkedIn post.
The company marked the achievement with an event at the shorebase attended by local authorities and representatives of ExxonMobil Guyana and Saipem.
In 2023, ExxonMobil awarded Saipem a contract valued between US$500 million and US$1 billion for subsea work at Uaru, covering the design, fabrication and installation of subsea structures, risers, flowlines and umbilicals. Saipem has also been engaged for subsea scopes on all of ExxonMobil’s developments in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, including Liza 1 and 2, Payara, Yellowtail, Whiptail and Hammerhead.
“In Guyana, thanks to many contracts awarded by ExxonMobil, we have established a solid collaboration in the offshore deepwater sector with one of the world’s leading oil companies, also strengthening our relationship with key local stakeholders, contributing to the country’s sustainable energy development,” Saipem said.
ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess (acquired by Chevron) and CNOOC, are developing billions of barrels of oil and gas discovered in the Stabroek Block. Oil production is expected to reach 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030, with gas also expected to flow from various developments.
