- Seatrium successfully delivers Whale (Floating Production Unit), comprising a topside module and a semi-submersible hull, delivered on-time and within budget.
- The Whale project demonstrates Seatrium's engineering and innovation expertise, leveraging its previous experience to achieve a reduction in integration time while meeting international safety standards.
Seatrium has announced the successful delivery of the Floating Production Unit (FPU), Whale, for deployment in the Gulf of Mexico, in accordance with the contract secured in November 2019 with Shell Offshore Inc.
The completed Whale FPU, which comprises a topside module and a four-column semi-submersible floating hull (of over 22,000 tonnes) delivered on-time and within budget, underscores Seatrium’s strong track record and leadership as a global player with deep engineering expertise.
Enabled by Seatrium’s game-changing Goliath twin cranes with a combined 30,000-tonne lifting capacity and a 100-metre hook height, the integration of the Whale FPU topside and hull in one single lift is a major milestone achievement for Seatrium, resulting in greater productivity and safety for the assembly of such mega-blocks before integration.
Leveraging Seatrium’s extensive experience in designing and building world-class FPUs, the Whale project demonstrates Seatrium's continuous efforts for improvement and innovation which has brought about tangible contributions of over two million man-hours saved and 30% reduction in hull and topside integration time. The project scores 96% on international standards for health, safety, and environment and complies with the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers(1) (IOGP) 577 standards as well as the US Coast Guards statutory requirements.
In addition to strong engineering capabilities and timely project delivery, Seatrium adopts Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices in its operations. The hull structure of Whale was fabricated in Seatrium’s state-of-the-art steel fabrication facility, powered by renewable solar energy, resulting in reduced carbon emissions during the construction process.
Mr Chris Ong, CEO of Seatrium said, 'We are delighted to have successfully delivered the Whale FPU project, which marks a significant milestone in our journey as we continue to expand our footprint in the offshore market. We are committed to providing innovative and comprehensive solutions for a diverse range of offshore and marine applications. Our successful delivery of the Whale FPU project is a testament to our capabilities and expertise.'
Background
According to info on the Shell Global web site -
- The Whale production facility is in the Alaminos Canyon Block 773 and is adjacent to the Shell-operated Silvertip field, approximately 10 miles from the Shell-operated Perdido platform and approximately 200 miles southwest of Houston.
- Discovered in 2017, Whale will feature a semi-submersible production host in more than 8,600 feet of water with 15 oil producing wells.
Source: Seatrium
