Two Bourbon vessels to support Saipem on BP’s project in Senegal and Mauritania

Italian oilfield services provider Saipem has chartered two Bourbon Mobility’s vessels for the marine logistics of the hub terminal on the BP-operated field located offshore Mauritania and Senegal.

Back in December 2018, BP reached a final investment decision (FID) for Phase 1 of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project. Located offshore on the border between Mauritania and Senegal, the GTA is expected to produce around 2.5 million tonnes of LNG per year. The first gas from this phase is expected in 2023.

The partners in this offshore LNG project are BP, Kosmos Energy, Petrosen, and Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMHPM) with BP serving as the operator.

In a statement on Monday, Bourbon Mobility revealed that it was supporting Saipem on the construction of the LNG terminal on the GTA field off the coast of Mauritania and Senegal, with the chartering of two vessels.

Rhodri Williams, project manager at Saipem, remarked: “The flexibility and adaptability demonstrated by Bourbon Mobility’s teams, and in particular the crews of the two vessels, are key to the success of this contract. We are working hand in hand to best complete our project and make it a success.”

The vessels which were hired for this job are the Sirocco FSIV (Fast Support Intervention Vessel) and the Surfer 2609. Bourbon Mobility says that it has been able to “provide its client with a flexible offer, adapted to the logistical challenges of the project and to the specific sea conditions of this region, and this, in a brand new operating area for Bourbon.”

François Leslé, CEO of Bourbon Mobility, commented: “It is a source of pride for our company to accompany Saipem on this key project of the Tortue Ahmeyim field.”

The company explains that its Bourbon Sirocco has the advantage of being a multipurpose vessel, allowing both the management of crew changes and the routing of regular supplies. The vessel has a large deck space, with a capacity of 200 tonnes and 60 seats for passengers, “while being fast and of an ideal size to evolve according to local maritime conditions.” The vessel performs three supply runs a week between Dakar and the Hub – 120 nautical miles from Dakar – as part of its mission.

On the other hand, the Surfer 2609, a 26-meter personnel transport vessel with a 50-seat passenger cabin, provides two to three runs per week. This project was initiated in 2021 and will last several more months.

The GTA project will produce gas from an ultra-deepwater subsea system and mid-water floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which will process the gas, removing heavier hydrocarbon components.

Afterwards, the gas will be transferred to a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility at a nearshore hub located on the Mauritania and Senegal maritime border. To this end, BP secured the services of Golar’s Gimi FLNG on a 20-year deal.

Last month, BP disclosed that the subsea installation had started with underwater surveys and all major structures, pipelines, and flexible products expected to be installed by the end of 2022. The energy major said that the system would connect every part of the GTA project including the wells, FPSO and the Hub and would be “the deepest subsea infrastructure in Africa.”

In addition, the company informed that the Valaris DS-12 drillship had arrived in Mauritania. The drilling activities started on four deep-water wells, with trees installations and completions scheduled as part of the activity throughout the year.

When it comes to the most recent developments related to the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project, it is worth noting that BP awarded a new contract to Petrofac for the provision of offshore operations services.