Japanese firm MODEC has clinched the front end engineering and design (FEED) contract for a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) due to operate in ExxonMobil’s Uaru development, offshore Guyana
The FEED contract award relates to the initial funding by ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), to begin FEED activities related to the FPSO design and to secure the second M350TM hull for FPSO service.
Following FEED and subject to regulatory approvals of the development plan, project sanction includes the final investment decision by ExxonMobil and EEPGL’s release of the second phase of work.
Uaru will be Exxon’s fifth development in Guayana. Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2 are in production. A third project, Payara, is expected to start-up by the end of 2023, and Yellowtail, the largest development, is expected to come online in 2025.
MODEC will build and install the FPSO and is expected to operate the unit for 10 years, with an option to extend.
The new FPSO will be based on MODEC’s M350 newbuild design. Uaru will be the second M350 hull used for FPSO service. When complete, the unit is expected to produce 250,000 barrels of oil per day, with an associated gas treatment capacity of 540 million cubic feet per day and water injection capacity of 350,000 barrels per day.
The FPSO will be installed in a water depth of about 2,000 m, using a SOFEC spread mooring system and will be able to store around 2M barrels of crude oil.
MODEC president and chief executive Takeshi Kanamori said, “We are proud to be selected to provide the FEED services for an FPSO for the Uaru project. We are equally proud of our robust track record of successful project deliveries in the South America region, and we look forward to co-operating closely with the client and its partners to make this project a success.”
The company has previously delivered 17 FPSO and FSOs for use in South America.
