Sixth FPSO Hull Ordered by SBM Offshore from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding

Dutch floater expert SBM Offshore has placed an order for another FPSO hull based on its universal Fast4Ward design from China’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS).

The FPSO, once completed, will have a capacity of 2.3 million barrels of oil. The hull measures 333 meters in length and 60 meters in width.

This order marks the sixth hull ordered from SWS by SBM Offshore. The first four hulls were delivered between 2019 and 2023. The most recent hull, for the FPSO Jaguar, was delivered last month and is set to operate on the Whiptail development within the Stabroek block off Guyana for ExxonMobil.

Notable in the newly ordered hull is the larger accommodation area, which has been increased from 180 to 240 compared to the previous ones.

While details about the end client for the completed FPSO were not disclosed, SBM Offshore recently secured a contract in November to construct an FPSO for TotalEnergies’ GranMorgu field development project in Block 58 off Suriname.

Although the next project for ExxonMobil in Guyana, Hammerhead, will not utilize SBM’s FPSO design, the company has opted for the conversion of a VLCC instead.

With the delivery of the FPSO Jaguar hull, SWS announced that it has built 579 vessels and offshore platforms with a total tonnage of 125.87 million dwt since its establishment 25 years ago. The company holds the distinction of being the first Chinese shipbuilder to surpass the 100 million dwt milestone.