Netherlands-based SBM Offshore Commences Construction of Disconnectable Turret Mooring for FSO Unit

Netherlands-based SBM Offshore, a provider of the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities, has started the construction phase of a disconnectable turret mooring (DTM) for a floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit. The FSO is set to be deployed at a deepwater oil project located 30 km south of the Mexico-U.S. maritime border.

Securing a contract in 2024 with Woodside Petróleo Operaciones de México, a subsidiary of Australia’s Woodside Energy, SBM Offshore was tasked with constructing and leasing an FSO for a period of 20 years. The FSO will be utilized at the Trion deepwater oil field development in the Perdido Belt of the western Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America.

The construction phase of the disconnectable turret mooring system for the Trion FSO project officially began with a steel-cutting ceremony on February 12, 2025, at Cosco Shipyard in Qidong.

Key Highlights of the Project

Nicolas Mac Ferran, Mexico Country Manager at SBM Offshore, expressed his excitement about the project and the challenges ahead. The FSO will be based on a Suezmax-type hull and equipped with a DTM system, capable of storing approximately 950,000 barrels of crude oil. Woodside Energy, in partnership with PEMEX, operates the Trion project.

The Trion project, with an estimated total capital expenditure of $7.2 billion, marks the first deepwater development in Mexico at a water depth of 2,500 meters. The FPU will have a production capacity of 100,000 barrels per day and will be connected to a 950,000-barrel capacity FSO unit.

Various companies have secured contracts for the project, including Wood, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Gate Energy, Corinth Pipeworks, COSCO Shipping & Guangzhou Salvage Heavy Transport, and AXTech.

Focus on Sustainability

SBM Offshore is actively pursuing sustainability through its emissionZERO program, aiming for near-zero emissions with the development of a near-zero FPSO. The company has also acquired a minority stake in Norway’s Ocean-Power to advance its decarbonization efforts.

Ocean-Power’s ‘Blue Power Hub’ concept involves generating electricity using gas turbines with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce CO2 emissions. This partnership is a significant step towards achieving SBM Offshore’s emission-zero roadmap.

With approximately 40 FPSO opportunities expected to emerge over the next three years, SBM Offshore is poised to play a crucial role in the industry’s sustainable future.