Keppel Verolme Secures Contracts

Keppel Verolme BV has secured two contracts totaling $109m on the back of an upsurge of offshore activities in the North Sea. Of the two new contracts, one is a repeat order for the outfitting of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, Sevan Voyageur, for Sevan Production AS. Work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2008.

This is the third cylindrical FPSO facility that Keppel Verolme is carrying for the same owner. The vessel has an oil storage capacity of 300,000 bbls, with an oil process capacity of 30,000 barrels/day and a water injection capacity of 20,000 barrels/day. The world’s first cylindrical FPSO facility, Sevan Piranema, was completed in Keppel Verolme in January 2007. The second unit, Sevan Hummingbird, also completed by Keppel Verolme, was delivered recently. In all three projects, Keppel Verolme’s scope of work entails the outfitting of marine and process equipment and final completion of all works for the facility at its location, with the hulls built in China.

The first cylindrical design made its appearance in offshore industry in 2004. The cylindrical hull form is believed to have a competitive edge when compared to traditional type shiptype floaters. Developed for operation in deep water fields with the lower amount of hydrocarbons, it has comparatively larger processing plants and more numbers of risers making the facility more cost-effective. The facility is capable of taking on big loads and offering large deck areas and storage capacities.