Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) will build one of the world’s largest floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels for Brazil’s Petrobras after winning a contract worth $2.3 billion.
Scheduled for completion in late 2024, the FPSO, known as P-78, will be customised for deployment in Brazil’s prolific Buzios field, described as the largest deep-water oil field in the world. With a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day, 7.2 million cubic metres of gas per day and a storage capacity of 2 million barrels of oil, the P-78 will rank among the largest in the global operating fleet of FPSOs, Keppel said in a statement.
The contract is on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, with project execution spanning multiple locations globally. Keppel O&M will fabricate the topside modules weighing 43,000 metric tonnes (MT) at its shipyards in Singapore, China and Brazil, as well as undertake the integration and commissioning works of the FPSO. Keppel O&M’s partner, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), will provide the 85,000MT hull and the living quarters for 240 persons. Upon completion, the FPSO will transit to the Buzios field, where Keppel O&M will carry out the final phase of offshore commissioning works.
Chris Ong, CEO of Keppel O&M, said the latest deal is aligned with the transformation plans which the Singapore yard has previously announced, where not all of the work will be done at Keppel yards. “We are excited to partner with industry leaders like HHI and DORIS Engenharia in Brazil, harnessing our complementary strengths and enabling Keppel O&M to expand our turn-key offerings across the value chain. At the same time, we are able to utilise our global network of operations and bring a sizeable amount of the work to Brazil, generating thousands of job opportunities for the local eco-system.”
BrasFELS, Keppel’s yard in Angra dos Reis, Brazil is currently also undertaking integration and fabrication work for two other FPSOs that will operate in the Sepia field and the Buzios field.
The latest $2.3 billion contract will be on progressive milestone payments, said Keppel O&M.