Singapore's Sembcorp Marine said Thursday it had completed the construction of the Vito floating production facility, bound for deployment in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for Shell.
The integration of Vito’s topside structure with its hull was executed by a pair of goliath cranes with 30,000-tonne combined lifting capacity and 100-meter hook height in Tuas Boulevard Yard in Singapore.
"The yard’s ability to perform this type of mega-block lifting enabled the Vito topsides and living quarters to be fabricated and assembled at ground level to minimize work-at-height risks, before integration with the four-column FPU hull in a single lift," Sembcorp Marine said.
The Vito FPU was delivered to Shell on December 27, 2021, and the platform departed Tuas Boulevard Yard for Singapore’s anchorage to prepare for loadout and its sailaway to the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.
Vito will be Shell’s 11th deep-water project in the area, and will be located 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of New Orleans, in a water depth of 1,219 meters (4,000 feet). The platform will produce 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day at peak production.
Wong Weng Sun, Sembcorp Marine President & CEO, said: “The successful construction and delivery of Vito FPU is a key milestone in our newbuilding track record and a testament to Sembcorp Marine’s proven expertise and differentiated capabilities in the construction of turnkey projects for the offshore, marine and energy industries. We would like to thank Shell for their strong teamwork and steadfast support in overcoming the challenges and constraints brought on by COVID-19. We look forward to continuing this partnership with Shell for the Whale Host Facility (WHF).”
Sembcorp Marine is currently building a second FPU project for Shell, involving the fabrication and integration of the FPU topsides, living quarters, and hull, for the Whale development located in the United States Gulf of Mexico.
The Whale floating production unit will, when it comes to the hull, be a 99% replica of the Vito project. The topside will be an 80% replication of the topsides from Vito.