UK Culzean Production Ship Completed
Singapore-listed shipbuilder Sembcorp Marine said May 9 it has completed the Culzean floating storage and offloading vessel for Total; it added that the FSO is the world's first with a 40-year hull lifespan.
FSO Ailsa sets sail for the Culzean gas field in the UK North Sea next month, said Sembcorp; reports say the FSO will arrive in the North Sea in August.
Sembcorp Marine was awarded a $1bn order from Culzean’s then operator Maersk Oil to fit topsides to the FSO in 2015; work on fulfilling the order began in 2016.
Maersk Oil was bought by Total two months ago. So Total now owns Maersk’s 49.99% operating interest in the $4.5bn Culzean development, partnered by Japan’s JX Nippon E&P 34.01% and BP 16%.
Culzean is expected to produce 400-500mn ft3/d (equivalent to 60,000 to 90,000 boe/d) at plateau production for at least 13 years – and benefits from a UK tax concession for high pressure, high temperature fiel developments. It is targeting first gas next year.
Japanese shipbuilder Modec built for the overall FSO, whose hull will last twice as long as the normal hull lifespan of other newbuild FSOs and will operate for 25 years continuously without dry-docking. Modec said that FSO Ailsa is the 46th floating unit that it has built for the offshore oil and gas production industry.
Total’s project director for Culzean, Claus Vissing, said: “Total is delighted to celebrate the successful completion of the FSO Ailsa for the Culzean project. Work has been carried out safely to a standard that confirms the strong capabilities of these fabrication facilities in Singapore.”
Sembcorp Marine CEO Wong Weng Sun at the May 9 naming ceremony for FSO Ailsa in Singapore (Photo credit for this, and the banner photo of FSO Ailsa: Sembcorp Marine)