Japan’s MODEC has completed a phase in the construction of a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit to be deployed to a project offshore Guyana operated by the U.S.-headquartered oil and gas giant ExxonMobil.
MODEC described the hull sailaway ceremony of the FPSO Errea Wittu in China and arrival in Singapore on June 28 as a significant milestone and a major step forward for the ExxonMobil-operated Uaru project, the fifth development in the Stabroek block.
The sailaway ceremony in China marked the completion of the hull construction and commissioning works, including partial module lifting and integration. Now that the module has arrived in Singapore, the next phase will focus on module integration and commissioning activities before deployment to offshore Guyana.
“As we move into the next phase of the project, we remain focused on safety, quality, and collaboration. The journey of FPSO Errea Wittu is a proud example of what we can accomplish together, and we look forward to her successful deployment and operation in the near future,” said MODEC.
The latest achievement follows the hull block assembly for the unit, which was achieved 40 days ahead of the original schedule, in October 2024. The keel-laying ceremony was held five months before that.
The FPSO, whose name means “abundance,” will be MODEC’s first for use in Guyana. It will combine the development of resources from the Snoek , Mako, and Uaru fields in the Stabroek block. The delivery to the U.S. giant is targeted for 2026, the same as the first oil.
Once installed approximately 200 kilometers offshore Guyana, at a water depth of 1,690 meters, the vessel will be able to produce approximately 250,000 barrels of oil per day and will have associated gas treatment capacity of 540 million cubic feet per day, along with being able to store around 2 million barrels of crude oil.
The Japanese player was put in charge of the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) portion on the project and also won a contract to provide ExxonMobil with operations and maintenance services of the FPSO for 10 years from its first oil production.
This took place after a final investment decision (FID) for Uaru was made in April 2023 by ExxonMobil Guyana, which holds a 45% interest in Stabroek, with Hess Guyana Exploration LTD (30%) and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited (25%) as partners.
One year later, the FID was taken for Stabroek’s sixth development, Whiptail . While the approval of the seventh project, Hammerhead , is still pending , MODEC was put in charge of a new FPSO unit to be deployed at the field.