FPSO operator BW Offshore has hired APL, part of NOV’s completion and production solutions segment, for the supply of a large, submerged turret production (STP) system for the FPSO to be deployed at Santos’ Barossa gas and condensate field offshore of Australia.
Located approximately 300 kilometres northwest of Darwin in the Timor Sea, the Barossa field features water depths ranging between 220 and 280 metres.
The Barossa development consists of infield subsea infrastructure tied back to the centrally located floating production storage and offloading vessel.
The FPSO processes high-pressure reservoir fluids for gas export to the Darwin liquefied natural gas facility via a 290-kilometre-long subsea pipeline for condensate storage and offloading.
The Barossa FPSO will be a new, purpose-built vessel equipped with APL’s STP system, which provides permanent mooring and connection to subsea facilities. The FPSO is designed for a 25-year life of uninterrupted operation without drydocking.
“ Our STP system is a unique, innovative, and flexible turret mooring system for FPSOs. The system includes our STP swivel, which is designed for high pressures, temperature, and volumes, and the system transfers all fluids, signals, and power between the subsea system and the freely weathervaning production vessel ”, NOV said.
Hans Hoegh-Omdal , vice president of the turret, mooring, and SURF group for BW Offshore, added: “ BW Offshore has worked with APL on numerous FPSO projects over the years, the latest being our successful Catcher FPSO project.
“ With APL’s first-class turret technology and our successful cooperation in the past, it was easy for BW Offshore to turn to APL for their assistance for the Barossa project ”.
In late March, awarded a contract for the construction, connection, and operation of an FPSO for the Barossa gas field project off Australia to BW Offshore. The firm period contract is worth about $4.6 billion.
Only days later, Santos took a final investment decision (FID) to proceed with Barossa which is expected to be worth some $3.6 billion .