UK-headquartered Altera Infrastructure, an energy infrastructure services group focused on the ownership and operation of offshore energy assets, has struck a deal with Samos Energy Group, an energy investor, to divest a floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit, which is working at an oil field off the coast of Thailand, Southeast Asia.
Thanks to the execution of a ship sale agreement, Samos took steps to acquire the FSO Suksan Salamander from Altera Infrastructure. This FSO is currently deployed on Medco Energi Thailand ’s Bualuang oil field offshore Thailand.
The double-hull FSO has a storage capacity of approximately 470,000 barrels of crude oil, with a production handling capacity of 20,000 barrels per day and an offloading rate of 20,000 barrels per hour.
After partnering with FPSO Ventures , a specialist in the operations and maintenance of floating production units, Samos and the other player executed contracts with Medco Energi Thailand.
As a result, FPSO Ventures will assume responsibility for the ongoing operations and maintenance contract for the FSO, while Samos will take ownership of the asset and the associated bareboat charter contract upon the completion of the acquisition.
The move follows a period of significant activity for Samos, during which the group has secured new equity and debt facilities at the group level to support the continued growth of its offshore production fleet and the acquisition of new platforms focused on E&P, midstream, and power.
This acquisition is perceived to represent a further step in the energy investor’s strategy to expand its portfolio of high-quality offshore production assets, adding to its existing portfolio of three floating production units in Southeast Asia, which were acquired from BlackRock in 2023.
The firm underlined: “Samos’ partnership with FPSO Ventures reinforces its commitment to ensuring seamless operational continuity, high safety standards, and long-term reliability for Medco Energi Thailand and the Bualuang oil field.
“The Suksan Salamander FSO plays a critical role in production from the Bualuang oil field, providing offshore storage and offloading capacity to support stable operations.”
The latest FSO sale comes after Altera Infrastructure decided to offload its entire floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) business, which Carlyle opted to buy.