Electrification and automation technology specialist ABB has been contracted by Offshore Frontier Solution Pte. Ltd., a joint venture between MODEC and Toyo Engineering Corp., to deliver a complete electrical system and associated digital solutions for an ExxonMobil Corp. floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the South American Uaru oil field.
ABB said in a media release that the FPSO, named Errea Wittu, will be operated approximately 124.2 miles (200 kilometers) off the coast of Guyana. “It is ExxonMobil’s fifth FPSO in Guyana and will combine the development of the Snoek, Mako and Uaru resources in the Stabroek block. Expected to be operational by 2026, with an initial production capacity of 250,000 barrels of oil per day, the vessel will also have an associated gas treatment capacity of 540 million standard cubic feet per day”, ABB said.
According to the media release, ABB will deliver a topside and hull electrical system to the vessel through a pre-built ABB eHouse modular substation, which reduces risk exposure and costs by commissioning, installing and testing all electrical systems at the shipyard before deployment offshore, and enables faster speed to market. In addition, the company will supply power management solutions that will optimize energy efficiency and asset availability of all electrical equipment supplied.
The order, booked in the second quarter of 2023, marks the 14th collaboration between ABB and engineering procurement and construction company MODEC on FPSO developments across South America, ABB said.
The global FPSO market is estimated to reach $20 billion in 2027, according to a report by The Insight Partners. Guyana is second only to Brazil in the number of new FPSO projects set to commence operations and, according to Rystad Energy, is expected to produce 1.7 million barrels of oil per day by 2035, which would make it the fourth largest offshore oil producer in the world.
“The FPSO market in South America is growing exponentially driven by the fact that floating platforms are a more cost-efficient, quicker, mobile, and sustainable solution to traditional rigs”, said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Guyana is at the forefront of this growth, and we are thrilled to contribute our technology to help bring this fifth development for ExxonMobil in Guyana to market quickly and efficiently. The country is already seeing the benefits to its GDP, with its government announcing significant investment into advancing its healthcare sector, education and critical infrastructure as a result”.
