Shell (LON: SHEL) has awarded work to Seatrium (SGX:S51) for a floating production unit (FPU) on the Sparta field, in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The contract follows on from a letter of intent signed by the two companies in August 2023.
The semi-submersible Sparta FPU will be in the Garden Banks area, around 275 km offshore Louisiana. The facility will have a four-column floating hull, with 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day capacity.
Seatrium did not specify when it would deliver the FPU. Shell, announcing the final investment decision (FID) in December 2023, said Sparta should begin producing in 2028.
Seatrium said it would integrate and lift the two-level topside for the FPU using its Goliath twin cranes, which can lift up to 30,000 tonnes.
The Singaporean company’s head of oil and gas William Gu noted this was the third newbuild FPU contract from Shell. It follows the Vito and Whale FPUs.
“It is a strong affirmation of our team’s capabilities and the long-standing partnership between both parties,” he said.
“We are fully committed to executing the project well, including the single lift operation and fabrication of the FPU to meet its 20,000-psi design for use in harsh weather conditions, and delivering the unit to Shell safely and efficiently.”
Replicable
Seatrium went on to say the Sparta FPU was designed as replicable. Shell noted the design followed the pattern of the 100,000 boepd Vito and Whale plans. The first began producing in February 2023 and the latter is due to start in 2024.
The new FPU replicates about 95% of Whale’s hull and 85% of Whale’s topsides, Shell has said.
Shell will install the Sparta project in water depths of more than 1,400 metres, with an initial group of eight producing wells. Sparta aims to develop 244 million boe.
Shell Offshore is the operator of Sparta with a 51% stake, while Equinor Gulf of Mexico has the remaining 49%.