Judy Maksoud • Houston
Marlim Sul begins production
Petróleo Brasileiro SA's new FPSO Marlim Sul began production in early June in the Marlim Sul field in the Campos basin, offshore Rio de Janeiro. The vessel is working in 1,160-m water depth about 110 km from the coast.
The Marlim Sul can process 100,000 b/d of oil, has storage capacity for 1.6 MMbbl of oil, and is capable of compressing 2.3 MMcm/d of gas and injecting 125,000 b/d of water.
Petrobras chartered the FPSO from SBM Inc. in January 2003. The vessel was converted from a very large crude carrier tanker.
The FPSO is producing Module 1 of the Marlim Sul field, comprising five oil producer wells, four water injection wells, and underwater pipelines that collect production and transport gas. The system should reach peak production before the end of this year.
Statoil modifies production ship
Statoil has awarded Aker Reinertsen the task of modifying the Norne production ship in connection with development of the Stær and Svale satellites in the Norwegian Sea.
The work was awarded under the group's existing frame agreement for maintenance and modification work in the Halten/Nord-land area.
The contract, valued at just under NKr160 million, includes the purchase and delivery of equipment.
Statoil also placed charters worth just over NKr380 million covering two supply and anchor-handling ships with two Norwegian ship owners for the Snøhvit development in the Barents Sea.
Eidesvik Shipping signed a five-year contract for the Viking Avant newbuild. The contract includes two renewal options of one year each. The vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in October, is under construction in the mid-Norwegian Aker Langsten yard in Tomrefjord.
Terje Breivik, sector manager at Statoil, said, "Viking Avant will be used initially as a supply and stand-by ship for Polar Pioneer during the drilling of wells on Snøhvit."
The second charter is for the Olympic Poseidon and runs for 18 months. The Olympic Poseidon will provide anchor handling, support, and supply services for Snøhvit.
VT Halter Marine Inc. to build tugs
VT Halter Marine has signed a contract to build two articulated tug barges for Vessel Management Services, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp.
ATBs are built with an articulated pin connection between the tug and barge to allow movement in the critical areas of fore and aft pitch. Each of the two units will incorporate a 9,280-BHP ocean-going tug and a 180,000-bbl barge. The first unit will be delivered in 1Q 2006. The second will be delivered in 3Q of the same year.
Midnight Express finishes sea trials
Torch Offshore Inc.'s pipelay vessel, Midnight Express, has completed its DP-2 sea trials in the North Atlantic Ocean and left the shipyard at Davie Maritime Inc.
The vessel arrived at the Huisman Itrec yard in Europe late in June, where partial installation of the pipelay system and crane took place. When the work was completed in July, the vessel began its transit to the Gulf of Mexico.
Complete final outfitting and installation of the pipe handling system as well as commissioning and testing will be carried out in the GoM before the vessel enters the active fleet late in 3Q 2004.
Science foundation gets new research vessel
The National Science Foundation entered into a cooperative agreement with Columbia University Lamont Doherty Earth Observa-tory to acquire and convert an industry seismic survey vessel. The vessel will be outfitted with significantly improved scientific capabilities.
The R/V Ewing, which is presently used for research, will be taken out of service in early 2005. Following an acceptance inspection and transit to the US, the vessel will undergo shipyard modifications and sea trials and should enter into service in early 2006.
Tonala to work in Bay of Campeche
AmFELS Inc., Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd.'s American subsidiary, delivered an ultra-premium KFELS B class jackup to Mexican owner Perforadora Central SA de CV earlier this year. The jackup, Tonala, recently began its first contract with Pemex in the Bay of Campeche.
The KFELS B class is a new generation of ultra-premium deepwater jackup rig designed with a single-stage pre-load rig feature that reduces on-site elevation and preloading time.
The Tonala was the fourth jackup of this design since the introduction of the KFELS B design in 2000. Four more currently are on order. ;
Prosafe to upgrade FPSO
CNR International (Côte d'Ivoire) Sarl (CNR) has awarded Prosafe Production a variation order for upgrading the FPSO Espoir Ivoirien. The upgrades will allow production to tie in from the new West Espoir wellhead tower on the Espoir field offshore Côte d'Ivoire.
The Espoir Ivoirien, shown at Keppel's Singapore yard, is now producing the Espoir field offshore Côte d'Ivoire.
The value of the variation order is $18.8 million, and the work is to be completed the beginning of September 2005.
A major portion of the work involves doubling water injection capacity and modifying gas compression capacity.
