McDermott’s Amazon to work on deepwater Whale development

McDermott has won an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) contract for the Whale development in Alaminos Canyon.

Under the contract, McDermott will provide engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning for 50 kilometres of pipeline and approximately 15 kilometres of umbilical to connect five drill centers to a new offshore platform.

The project will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in 2024.

Amazon, the company’s recently modified vessel, is coming to the Gulf of Mexico to support the contract that will take place in a water depth of more than two kilometres.

“The technology behind the upgraded Amazon significantly elevates its ability to efficiently deliver safe, quality-driven results”, said Mark Coscio, senior vice president for McDermott’s North, Central and South America region. “This vessel and its capabilities are a game-changer for the industry“.

The vessel’s upgrades enable highly automated operations, the production of hex joints from single or double joints using an onboard multi-joint facility and a pipe hold capacity of 10,000 metric tons.

McDermott’s team in Houston will lead the engineering, procurement and project management services. The company’s North Ocean 102 will install the umbilical and Amazon will transport and install the rigid ultra-deepwater pipelines.

The Whale development, owned by Shell and Chevron, is expected to reach peak production of approximately 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. In July, Shell made a final investment decision (FID) for the project.

Located in the Alaminos Canyon Block 773, the project is currently scheduled to begin production in 2024.