Torpedo piles to keep Mero 1 FPSO in place

Brazilian engineering and construction firm Delp will deliver subsea torpedo piles for the anchoring system designed to keep Petrobras’ Mero 1 FPSO in place.

Torpedo anchors / Image source: Delp

The Mero 1 FPSO will be used for oil production at Mero field, in the Libra block offshore Brazil. The Mero field is located around 180 kilometers off the Rio de Janeiro coast, in ultra-deep waters and has high quality carbonate reservoirs with expected high well productivity.

In a statement sent to Offshore Energy Today, Delp said it would deliver 34 torpedo piles from its Belo Horizonte facility. The delivery will take place early in 2020. According to Delp, its torpedo piles offer “an attractive cost-saving” compared to suction piles.

Delp said: “We are happy to add these 34 torpedo piles on our track record of more than 600 Piles successfully delivered so far.”

The Mero-1 FPSO will be operated by Modec, the company responsible for the construction, and chartered for 22 years. Part of the construction will be carried out in Brazil.

Modec recently awarded a contract to Brazil’s offshore construction specialist, the Estaleiros do Brasil Ltda. (EBR), for the fabrication and assembly of a number of topsides process modules for the Mero FPSO system, the FPSO Guanabara MV31.

The Libra Block has been developed under a consortium agreement with Petrobras (40% share) as operator, and with Shell (20%), Total (20%), CNOOC Limited (10%), CNPC (10%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo – PPSA (state-owned company, manager of Libra Consortium contract) as the other consortium partners.

Offshore Energy Today Staff


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