McDermott to work for Shell offshore Trinidad and Tobago

U.S. offshore engineering and construction services firm McDermott has secured a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract with Shell for a gas development project offshore Trinidad and Tobago.

Under the contract, McDermott will provide comprehensive FEED services for a wellhead platform, export pipeline system, shore approach, midstream pipeline and onshore control room for the Manatee gas development project.

Engineering and execution planning will be led by McDermott’s team in Houston, with support from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Chennai in India, and Altamira in Mexico.

This award follows the completion of an early contract engagement with Shell.

“The award of this next phase of the Manatee project builds on the portfolio of projects that McDermott’s Subsea and Floating Facilities business line is executing for Shell,” said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott’s Senior Vice President, Subsea and Floating Facilities.

“McDermott’s comprehensive engineering design expertise and unique fabrication capabilities equip us to perform the required FEED work in-house, reduce costs, ensure quality and maximize time efficiencies.”

The Manatee field is located in water depths of approximately 91 meters. It is said to represent one of Trinidad and Tobago’s largest natural gas reserves discovered to date and is expected to help bolster the country’s gas supply.

Speaking about Shell’s other activities in Trinidad and Tobago, the company early last year started production on Block 22 and NCMA-4 in the North Coast Marine Area (NCMA). The start-up of Colibri came after the amendment to the Block 6 Production Sharing Contract for the Manatee field.

The energy giant also recently took a final investment decision (FID) for a deepwater project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico that is set to be developed as a subsea tie-back to the Appomattox production hub.