Field Operator News

Brazilian oil company Enauta has agreed to buy FPSO OSX-2 for the Definitive System (DS) of the Atlanta oil field in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil.The completion of the acquisition is contingent on compliance with the agreed contractual conditions and is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2022. "The acquisition of FPSO is another important step towards the implementation of the Definitive System of the Atlanta Field. The negotiated terms allow the project to have a low breakeven and attractive returns. If we are successful in sanctioning the project, Atlanta’s production will reach around 50 thousand barrels of oil per day as of 2024, creating substantial value for our shareholders,” said Décio Oddone, the Company’s CEO.

Brazilian oil company Enauta has brought online another oil well at its Atlanta field in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, following a recent pumping system failure, and is now producing from two wells connected to the Petrojarl I FPSO.As previously reported, the company - formerly Queiroz Galvao - had earlier this month said that the field was producing via one well only due to a failure in the pumping system which had caused two wells to stop producing.The Atlanta field early production system has three wells…

COVID-19 will continue to skew the floating production systems market for the coming 24 months, while buying power for a large portion of FPSO contracts will be centered in Brazil and Guyana/Suriname. These two areas are expected to account for more than 60% of the FPSO contracts awarded between 2021 and 2025.These are the findings shared in a recent floating production outlook report produced by International Maritime Associates (IMA) and World Energy Reports (WER).The 100+ page…

Bermuda-registered liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping company Golar LNG said that its floating LNG (FLNG) Hilli Episeyo continues to achieve 100% commercial uptime. The vessel recently exported its 25th cargo."Discussions continue with field operator Perenco with respect to increasing the vessel's utilization and potentially increasing the overall duration of the contract term," the NASDAQ-listed company said. The initial focus of these discussions remains on utilization of train 3 and the contract adjustments necessary to ensure that the export of additional LNG at current prices is an attractive proposition for all parties. "We expect resolution of this by year-end," the company said.The FLNG Gimi Conversion project continues on target in Singapore.

Golar LNG Limited confirmed that FLNG Hilli Episeyo continues to operate with 100 percent commercial availability.Currently in the process of exporting its 10th LNG cargo, the vessel's proof of concept continues to add momentum to both existing and new opportunities under discussion. Discussions also continue with field operator Perenco as to the timing of utilization of Hilli Episeyo's excess capacity.Golar and affiliates of Keppel Shipyard Limited and Black and Veatch closed the sale of 50 percent of the common units in Golar Hilli LLC to the Partnership on July 12, . Although Golar continues to consolidate Golar Hilli LLC, after this transaction…

Aberdeen-headquartered operators of offshore support vessels Sentinel Marine said it has taken delivery of the latest vessel to join its fleet. The Bailey Sentinel, constructed in China, is now en route to Aberdeen and is due to arrive in early September. The new emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) will operate rescue and recovery services for a major North Sea oil field operator following sea trials. The vessel is the eighth new build to join the expanding Sentinel Marine fleet since 2015. One further new vessel is set to be delivered in the first quarter of 2019.

No question that the market for new floating production systems has taken a battering. The past 12 to 18 months have been a difficult period for everyone in the business sector. Absence of new contracts has forced fabricators and equipment suppliers to make huge cutbacks in personnel and spending. But deepwater production will rebound – oil demand keeps growing -- and though the signs are mixed we see indications of the rebound starting. First some numbers about the state of the business. 261 oil/gas floating production units are currently installed on offshore fields.

What’s New in October 2014? Today 324 oil/gas floating production units are now in service, on order or available for reuse on another field. FPSOs account for 65% of the existing systems, 78% of systems on order. Production semis, barges, spars and TLPs comprise the balance. The oil/gas production floater inventory is the same as last month. There were no orders for additional production systems in September. Another 30 floating LNG processing systems are in service or on order. Liquefaction floaters account for 17%, regasification floaters 83%.

Israel's Delek Drilling and Avner Oil have raised $2 billion in an international bond offering to help fund the development of the huge Leviathan natural gas field off the coast of Israel. An announcement by the firms said demand of $13.5 billion was the largest ever for an Israeli enterprise and it was over-subscribed by 650 percent. "This shows unprecedented confidence by European, U.S. and Israeli financial markets in the vision of Delek Drilling, Avner and Delek Group," Avner Chairman Gideon Tadmor said. "The development of the Leviathan reserve will allow the continuation of the Israeli natural gas revolution and regional and international export that will significantly strengthen Israel's geo-political standing," he added.

Strainstall UK Limited has been selected to work alongside SBM offshore on the prestigious Shell Stones project, which is an ultra-deep Oil and Gas development in the Gulf of Mexico and is currently the deepest production facility in the world at approximately 2,900 meters. The project involves the use of an FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Off loading) which has a forward mounted turret with a disconnectable buoy (Buoyant Turret Mooring or BTM) allowing it to weathervane in normal conditions and disconnect from the FPSO upon the approach of a hurricane so that the FPSO can sail to a safer area. The unique BTM design required six specially designed load pins to measure the forces between the Buoy and the FPSO as they are an integral component of the detachable buoy system…

Currently, 319 oil/gas floating production units are now in service, on order or available for reuse on another field. FPSOs account for 65% of the existing systems, 75% of systems on order. Another 24 floating LNG processing systems are in service or on order. Liquefaction floaters account for 13%, regasification floaters 87%. No liquefaction units are yet in service – all 3 are on order. Also, 98 floating storage units are in service, on order or available. Trend in Inventory…

Currently, 319 oil/gas floating production units are now in service, on order or being remarketed for reuse. FPSOs account for 66% of the existing systems, 73% of systems on order. Another 25 floating LNG processing systems are in service or on order. Liquefaction floaters account for 16%, regasification floaters 84%. No liquefaction units are yet in service – all 4 are on order. In addition, 102 floating storage units are in service, on order or available. Sixteen production floaters (13 FPSOs, 3 Semis) are off field and being remarketed for redeployment.

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd's (Keppel O&M) subsidiaries - Keppel FELS Brasil S.A. (Keppel FELS Brasil) and Keppel Shipyard Ltd (Keppel Shipyard) - have secured two contracts worth S$200 million from repeat customers. Keppel FELS Brasil's contract is with MODEC and Toyo Offshore Production Systems Pte Ltd (MTOPS), a joint-venture company between MODEC, Inc. and Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO), to integrate the topside modules of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit. This project will be carried out at BrasFELS, Keppel FELS Brasil's yard in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Singapore, Keppel Shipyard has been engaged by SBM Offshore N.V.

Douglas-Westwood forecast that between 2013 and 2017, $91bn will be spent on floating production systems (FPS) – an increase of 100% over the preceding five-year period. A total of 121 floating production units are forecast to be installed – a 37% increase. This growth is driven by multiple factors, such as a larger proportion of newbuilds and conversions compared to redeployments, a greater degree of local content which often results in a higher cost base and general offshore industry cost inflation.

Douglas-Westwood forecast that between 2013 and 2017, $91bn will be spent on floating production systems (FPS) – an increase of 100% over the preceding five-year period. A total of 121 floating production units are forecast to be installed – a 37% increase. This growth is driven by multiple factors, such as a larger proportion of newbuilds and conversions compared to redeployments, a greater degree of local content which often results in a higher cost base and general offshore industry cost inflation.

IMA has just completed an in-depth analysis of the floating production sector. The 175 page report Floating Production Systems: Assessment of the Outlook for FPSOs, Semis, TLPs, Spars, FLNGs, FSRUs and FSOs is the 47th in a series of IMA reports on the deepwater production sector that began in 1996. Some highlights from the new report are below. Order backlog for production floaters at all-time high – 74 production floaters are currently on order. This number is 40% higher than the backlog a year ago – and more than double the backlog in mid-2009.

IMA has just completed an in-depth analysis of the floating production sector. The 175 page report Floating Production Systems: Assessment of the Outlook for FPSOs, Semis, TLPs, Spars, FLNGs, FSRUs and FSOs is the 47th in a series of IMA reports on the deepwater production sector that began in 1996. Some highlights from the new report are below. Order backlog for production floaters at all-time high – 74 production floaters are currently on order. This number is 40% higher than the backlog a year ago – and more than double the backlog in mid-2009.

The number of floating production systems in service continues to grow. There are now more than double the number of units ten years ago  – 250 units now vs. 120 units in 2001. Order backlog, which now stands at 47 units, will increase the inventory by another 20 percent over the next several years. Planned projects – In a new in-depth analysis of the floating production sector, IMA identifies 194 projects in the planning stage that are likely to require a floating production system for development.

Having added a unique multi-purpose offshore installations vessel and a powerful floating crane to its fleet, the Smit International Group is increasingly busy on installation heavy lift and heavy transport projects associated with FPSOs. Smit Pioneer, formerly a LASH carrier, was acquired and converted by Smit in 1999. The vessel represents a new concept for multi-purpose offshore installation tasks. This large, dock-type vessel is designed and equipped to remain on station for extended periods, having an unusually high degree of self-sufficiency. The multi-purpose vessel's primary roles include: installation of moorings, diverless tie-ins, well servicing, flexlay, manifold and riser installation, ROV support and long haul cablelay.

U.S.-based Hardy Exploration and Production (India) Inc. has revived a declining oil field off India's southern coast and increased its output by over 2,000 bpd. Hardy Exploration's chief executive, Sastry Karra, said his company drilled India's deepest horizontal well of about 1,200 m to revive the PY-3 field and step up its output to 5,600 bpd from 3,600 bpd. "This lateral well flowing a light crude of 49 API and another one we are starting to drill today should extend the life of the PY-3 field by several years at least," Karra said. In April, Karra told Reuters the firm was likely to spend about $16 million for drilling two new lateral wells and using water injection technology to extend the life of the declining field -- then producing 4,000 bpd -- by another five years.

Statoil reported that on Feb. 18, the partners in the Gudrun license resolved to submit a plan for development and operation (PDO) of this North Sea discovery to the Norwegian authorities. “The decision marks an important milestone in the continued development of this part of the Norwegian continental shelf,” said Øystein Michelsen. “We’re pleased that work will now begin on recovering Gudrun’s assets.” Michelsen is executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway at field operator Statoil.