Weeks after the announcement of an eighth find in Guyana by Exxon and the addition of a third drillship to the drilling programme, SBM Offshore has announced that it has received another contract for a second floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit.
Via a press release, SBM Offshore announced it was awarded the contract to perform front-end engineering and design (FEED) for a second floating production storage and offloading vessel for the Liza development located in the Stabroek block, which covers almost 27,000 square kilometres, circa 200 kilometres offshore Guyana. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is the operator and holds a 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds a 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds a 25 per cent interest.
Following FEED and subject to requisite government approvals, project sanction and an authorisation to proceed with the next phase, SBM Offshore will construct, install and then lease and operate the FPSO for a period of up to two years, after which the FPSO ownership and operation will transfer to EEPGL. The FPSO will be designed to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day.
The FPSO will be moored in a water depth of about 1,600 metres and will be able to store around two million barrels of crude oil.
According to the press release by SBM Offshore, they are exploring options to maximise local content and Guyanese workforce development in preparation for the operating phase of both Liza FPSOs.