MDL lends Saipem a hand with flex-lay prep for ops in Guyana

June 12, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Aberdeen-headquartered Maritime Developments Limited (MDL) has assisted Italy’s engineering, drilling, and construction services giant Saipem during flex-lay preparations for activities off the coast of Guyana.

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MDL has supported Saipem’s preparation for flex-lay operations in Guyana with a transpooling solution in the United States. The UK player’s 2-track tensioner package was used for the relocation of an umbilical from the quayside into the under-deck carousel on the Normand Maximus subsea construction vessel.

Shawn Book, VP America at MDL, emphasized: “We take immense pride in continuing our support for Saipem in the USA, building on our strong track record of successful collaborations in West Africa and the Mediterranean – all deepwater basins presenting their own unique deployment challenges that can be addressed with MDL technology.

“Guyana is a key part of MDL’s Americas strategy and our high-capacity but low-footprint equipment, combined with over 25 years of global flexlay expertise, mean we are perfectly placed to enable new and expanding developments in the region with speed and confidence.”

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The firm explained that the product was destined for the ExxonMobil-operated Uaru deepwater development in Guyana’s Stabroek block. The package was mobilized from MDL’s U.S. equipment base in Houma, Louisiana, and came complete with a bespoke grillage to interface with the existing equipment on deck, while ensuring correct alignment of the product during handling.

Kingsley Emmanuel, Uaru Installation Manager at Saipem, commented: “Saipem required a tensioner to support our vessel transpooling effort in the US during our vessel mobilization. MDL was able to provide a quick solution being in country with their equipment and provided a quality solution. The crew they provided were knowledgeable and professional.”

Before deployment, a product squeeze test was completed with the tensioner at the Houma facility, with both the test and transpooling operations overseen by the firm’s field service personnel. Elsewhere in Guyana, the UK firm had previously supported lay operations at the Yellowtail field with equipment from its Winches & Lifting Solutions, also mobilized from Houma.

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Book added: “Even more so with our Houma facility, where we are intentionally growing our portfolio to address the needs of the region. This transpooling scope was made possible by having our equipment available locally – which reflects how this base allows us to test and mobilise lay packages rapidly for deployment across the Gulf as well as the east coasts of both Americas.”

MODEC’s FPSO Errea Wittu was built to work at the Uaru field in the Stabroek block. A final investment decision (FID) for the project was made in April 2023 by ExxonMobil Guyana, which holds a 45% interest in Stabroek, with Hess Guyana Exploration (30%), now part of Chevron, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana (25%) as partners.

Located 200 kilometers offshore Guyana at a depth of 1,750 meters, the Uaru field is estimated to hold more than 800 million barrels of oil. The FPSO Errea Wittu will produce 250,000 barrels of oil per day and will have a gas treatment capacity of 540 million cubic feet per day.

MDL also provided specialist equipment and operational support to enable Saipem’s vessels for two flex-lay campaigns offshore Ivory Coast, Senegal and Mauritania.