Keppel Clinches Petrobras & Saipem Contracts

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), through Keppel Shipyard Limited (Keppel Shipyard) and Keppel Verolme BV (Keppel Verolme), has secured two contracts worth a total of about $165m.

The first project, secured by Keppel Shipyard from repeat customer Petrobras Netherlands B.V (PNBV), is for the pre-conversion of P-58, a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel for the Campos Basin. The second project involves the repair and modification of the semisubmersible pipelay vessel, Castoro Sei for Saipem S.p.A (Saipem) by Keppel Verolme.

Keppel Shipyard’s scope of work on P-58 includes structural and piping renewal, tank coating as well as refurbishment and upgrading of the accommodation. When completed in the first quarter of 2011, the vessel will sail to Brazil for the rest of the conversion which includes completion works of the topsides.

P-58 will have a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and gas compression capacity of 6,000,000 m3 per day. It will operate in Parque das Baleias’ north field, in Campos Basin and spread moored in a water depth of 1,400 metres.

Keppel Shipyard’s projects for Petrobras and Brazil currently also include the major conversion of FPSO P-57, FPSO BW Pioneer and FPSO Peregrino as well as the modification and upgrading of FPSO Capixaba. At present, Keppel Shipyard is carrying out seven other major conversions and upgrading projects at its yards.

Over in the Netherlands, Keppel Verolme has been tasked to overhaul four thrusters, install new stinger handling support rails and repair and modify the onboard gantry cranes and fendering system of Castoro Sei. The semisubmersible pipelay vessel will also undergo an extensive hull blasting and painting programme.

Work on Castoro Sei is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2010. She will thereafter be deployed for the Nord Stream project, a gas pipeline which will link Russia and the European Union via the Baltic Sea.