39-year-old FPSO going to Las Palmas to get ready for redeployment

Aberdeen-based Amplus Energy has picked Spain’s Astican Shipyard in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria off the northwest coast of Africa to undertake the work scope related to the preparation for the redeployment of a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel, seen as one of the offshore industry’s most iconic FPSO units.

With the completion of the FPSO Petrojarl I acquisition, revealed in February 2024 followed by the appointment of V. Group’s V.Ships to handle the transition in ownership, Amplus is gearing up to take advantage of global project opportunities by selecting Astican Shipyard to carry out what it describes as a major multimillion-dollar work scope in preparation for the redeployment of the 1886-built unit.  

This vessel, which Amplus portrays as the most frequently redeployed FPSO in the industry, most recently worked offshore Brazil. The unit will undergo a reactivation and readiness program at the Spanish facility, enabling it to keep attracting market interest, thanks to its operational flexibility and performance. 

Currently, V.Ships Offshore is supporting safe and efficient operations during the vessel’s reactivation. The previous FPSO’s owner, Altera Infrastructure, collaborated closely with Amplus to ensure a smooth handover of the asset. 

Steve Gardyne, Managing Director at Amplus, commented: “The addition of Petrojarl is a transformational step for Amplus. It takes us beyond our established position as a provider of field development floating solutions into direct asset ownership—a move that significantly enhances our strategic capabilities and strengthens our ability to meet growing client demand. 

“As we prepare for the vessel’s next chapter, Astican Shipyard offers the services and expertise needed to support a complex, fast-paced mobilisation. We’re pleased to be working together on this important phase, and we’re focused on ensuring a safe, efficient turnaround that gets the unit back in the field quickly.” 

Amplus, which claims to remain in active discussions with several field owners and operators regarding the FPSO Petrojarl I’s next deployment, explains that the unit is well-suited for early production system applications, extended well tests, and standalone marginal field developments in regions such as Vietnam, Suriname, Brazil, and West Africa, with minimal modification to be field-ready for specific customer needs.

Gardyne added: “We have strategic plans to expand our owned fleet, with the ambition to become the redeployment vessel contractor of choice. There’s a clear market opportunity for a trusted, entrepreneurial FPSO contractor operating at the flexible, niche end of the spectrum – offering fit-for-purpose units at highly competitive rates, backed by a leadership team with deep operator experience and supported by a scalable and aligned network of subcontractors.” 

Thanks to its joint venture with Versatile Group (VG Energy), Amplus teamed up with Carbon Circle last year to enable marginal oil and gas fields in West Africa to reach their full untapped potential and bolster the carbon capture game.

In addition, the firm also joined forces with EnQuest’s Veri Energy and Ocean-Power to boost decarbonization by advancing offshore electrification in the UK and Norway through carbon capture solutions to reduce oil and gas installations’ carbon footprint.