Italian offshore energy services company Saipem has inaugurated its new facility at the port of Georgetown, Guyana, to support its offshore oil and gas installation activities in the country.
"The Saipem Guyana Offshore Construction Facility is tangible proof of our commitment to local content in this important frontier region," Saipem said.
"Saipem and Guyana have been enjoying a fruitful interaction for the last four years, starting with the award of the ground-breaking Liza Phase 1 contract in 2017. Since then, our relationship has grown stronger with contract awards for Liza phase 2 in 2018 and more recently the Payara development project," the company said, referring to its contracts for the installation of offshore equipment at ExxonMobil's oilfields in Guyana.
The new offshore construction facility offers direct access to the Demerara river, which, according to Saipem, enables fabricated items to be loaded onto vessels to be delivered offshore.
"[The new facility] will feature the largest heavy lift crane in Guyana, and specialized fabrication, welding, and testing equipment and a heavy load-bearing jetty. All construction work for the new facility has been awarded to Guyanese contractors.
Training for local workers
"Thanks to the new Offshore Construction Facility, Saipem will now be able to fabricate jumpers and other sophisticated subsea structures in Guyana. Conducting these types of operations will also require highly skilled local workers, for which Saipem will now escalate its already ongoing training effort to include new specializations in cooperation with recognized Guyanese organizations, schools and service providers," Saipem said.
This initiative broadens Saipem’s presence in Guyana in a way that is collaborative, safe, and socially responsible, helping create a meaningful and sustainable future for the country’s energy industry and people, the company added.
Giorgio Martelli, President & CEO of Saipem America commented: “The inauguration of Saipem’s Offshore Construction Facility in Guyana will enable us to provide highly-skilled local services and support to the advantage of current and future energy projects in the country. Saipem’s commitment in Guyana is long term and this new facility is a key milestone in our relationship with this dynamic nation."
Saipem in November 2020 received approval from ExxonMobil to proceed with the final phase of its work scope at the Payara development project offshore Guyana.
Overall, Saipem is responsible for the detailed Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) of a large subsea production system. The system will include approximately 130 km of flowlines, rigid risers, associated terminations, and jumpers together with the installation of manifolds, flexible risers, dynamic and static umbilicals, and flying leads.
Saipem will use its vessels Saipem FDS2 and Saipem Constellation to perform the offshore installation.