Offshore staff
HOUSTON – Shell has awarded McDermott a subsea EPCIC contract for the deepwater Whale field development in Alaminos Canyon block 773 in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The company will engineer, procure, construct, install, and commission 30 mi (50 km) of pipelines and about 9 mi (15 km) of umbilicals to connect five drill centers to a new semisubmersible production platform. The project will start immediately and is expected to be completed in 2024.
Engineering, procurement, and project management services will be led by the company’s team in Houston. McDermott’s subsea construction vessel North Ocean 102 will install the umbilicals, and the upgraded Amazon will transport and install the rigid pipelines.
Samik Mukherjee, executive vice president and COO of McDermott, said: “This contract, which will take place in a water depth of more than 9,000 ft [2,743 m], is a massive opportunity to demonstrate how the Amazon, with its industry-leading pipelay capabilities, is redefining what is possible within ultra-deepwater construction.”
The Amazon’s upgraded specs enable highly automated operations, the production of hex joints from single or double joints using an onboard multi-joint facility and a pipe hold capacity of 10,000 metric tons (11,023 tons), the company said.
Mark Coscio, senior vice president for McDermott’s North, Central and South America region, said: “The technology behind the upgraded Amazon significantly elevates its ability to efficiently deliver safe, quality-driven results. This vessel and its capabilities are a game changer for the industry.”
Shell Offshore Inc. operates and holds 60% interest in the Whale field. Chevron U.S.A. Inc. holds 40% interest.
09/13/2021
