Babcock is to manufacture and deliver over 70 subsea structures as part of the major Quad 204 offshore redevelopment project, some 130km west of Shetland, UK, under a £30m+ contract awarded by BP.
The complex and highly technical Quad 204 project consists of a new Floating Production System Offshore (FPSO) to replace the existing Schiehallion FPSO; an extension of the existing subsea system with 15 new or replacement flow lines and 21 new or replacement risers; and 14 new wells in addition to the 52 existing wells. This major project will access the remaining hydrocarbon reserves in the Schiehallion and Loyal fields, extending production through to 2035.
Under the contract Babcock will be fabricating 74 modules in carbon steel for the subsea system. These include 44 process fluid handling structures (including manifolds, flowline and riser terminations, and subsea isolation valve structures), and 30 control distribution structures (such as assemblies and umbilical terminations), amounting to a total of some 2,300 tonnes of fabrication.
The eight different manifolds range in size from 56 tonnes to 131 tonnes, the largest measuring some 10.8 by 10.8 by 9.2 metres. Three subsea isolation valve structures and 14 control distribution assemblies (measuring some 12.5 x 10 x 3.8 metres), weighing 58 tonnes and 65 tonnes each respectively, are also among the items to be produced, along with flowline and riser end termination assemblies and umbilical end terminations, weighing 10-12 tonnes each, and two 20 tonne dynamic umbilical termination assemblies.
To deliver this contract Babcock has put forward a single site solution, with all work to be undertaken at its Rosyth facility, where the structures will be fabricated, then equipped with pipework, valves and controls, and fully tested before shipment. The quantity and scale of the structures requires a carefully and tightly planned facility, which Babcock has developed, drawing on its proven project management and fabrication expertise.
The design phase (being delivered by JP Kenny) is currently on-going, with phased delivery of design drawings, from which Babcock engineers will produce the fabrication drawings, to suit the structure fabrication programme. Fabrication of the first structure will commence in March 2013, with the final structure to be completed two years later in 2015.
Mike Pettigrew, Babcock’s Managing Director Future Business , said: “We are delighted to have secured the contract to deliver this technically complex project, enabling us to demonstrate our capability and experience, and our facilities and resources at Rosyth. Utilising our advanced understanding of high integrity, complex fabrication and project management across the Babcock organisation we will develop a fully integrated team with BP to ensure the project is delivered to the highest quality standards, aligned to BP’s overall field requirements and supporting future field developments.”
He adds: “The project will secure and sustain over 100 positions and also involves the wider supply chain in Scotland with a number of subcontracts to be awarded, as well as providing training and development opportunities in specialist skills and offshore expertise at Rosyth.”
Andrew Train, BP Quad 204 Offshore Programme Director, commented: “The Quad 204 project is a major investment in the North Sea for BP and its partners and this is a key contract for the delivery of the subsea production system. We are looking forward to working collaboratively with Babcock and safely delivering high quality and reliable subsea structures which will help to extend the field life of the Schiehallion and Loyal fields.”
The BP Quad 204 contract builds further on Babcock’s position within the oil and gas sector, which has to date focused primarily around vessel integrity and design. Babcock is one of the leading offshore floating platform design organisations with many years’ experience in FPSO new-build and conversion projects, as well as in the renewable energy field, and is now looking to broaden its outlook in the offshore energy sector.
[mappress] Press Release, January 14, 2013; Image: BP