Aker Kvaerner Deepwater Contract for Gulf of Mexico

Chevron, with partner Kerr-McGee, has awarded Aker Kvaerner, Inc. the semisubmersible hull and mooring system contract for their Blind Faith project in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract has a total value of approximately USD 120 million. Aker Kvaerner's scope of work includes engineering, procurement, construction and transportation. The award is a recognition of the deepwater competence in Aker Kvaerner. The Blind Faith platform to be located in the Mississippi Canyon 650 block, approximately 162 miles southeast of New Orleans is part of the ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico in 6,500 feet water depth. This contract award follows more than one year of concept studies, pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) studies and a FEED study for the Blind Faith project by Aker Kvaerner's Deepwater Business unit. "This contract award represents a breakthrough for Aker Kvaerner's deepwater business," says President and CEO, Inge K. Hansen. This development will utilize Aker Kvaerner's Deep Draft Semisubmersible (DDS) concept which has been conceived specifically for the application of steel catenary risers in the ultra-deepwater and current-heavy Gulf of Mexico environment. The DDS represents an evolution of the strong Aker Kvaerner semisubmersible lineage. The execution phase of the project will be initiated immediately with Aker Kvaerner to deliver the DDS hull to a Gulf of Mexico integration yard in June 2007.