MODEC picks hull construction partner for FPSO headed to Shell’s Brazilian field

Japan’s giant MODEC has executed a contract with compatriot heavy machinery manufacturer Sumitomo Heavy Industries to construct a section of the floating production, storage, and offloading unit (FPSO) set to work on a project in the pre-salt area of the Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil operated by the UK-headquartered energy heavyweight Shell.

As stated in a social media post by Soichi Ide, Group Head of Project Execution and Chief Digital Officer at MODEC, Sumitomo was picked to construct the forward block of MODEC’s new generation hull for the FPSO Gato do Mato, to be deployed at Shell’s Gato do Mato field.

The collaboration is said to mark a significant milestone for the shipbuilding industry in Japan. According to Ide, the event was particularly memorable as it was the first official signing ceremony held at MODEC’s Kuala Lumpur office, which was inaugurated on April 15, 2025.

After winning a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for Shell’s Gato do Mato project last April, the Japanese player got its hands on a multi-year operations and maintenance gig in March 2025.

Located in the Santos Basin, the Gato do Mato project is a pre-salt gas-condensate discovery that covers two contiguous blocks: BM-S-54, a concession contract Shell entered into in 2005, and Sul de Gato do Mato, a production sharing agreement obtained in 2017.

According to MODEC, the FPSO destined for the project will feature a new-built, custom-made next-generation hull to meet the 25-year design life. Capable of producing 120,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and associated gas and water, the vessel will be moored at a water depth of approximately 2,000 meters, around 200 kilometers south of Rio de Janeiro.

Shell is the project’s operator with a 50% stake, with partners Ecopetrol (30%), TotalEnergies (20%), and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA (PPSA) acting as the manager of the production sharing contract (PSC).

The final investment decision (FID) for the Gato do Mato project, scheduled to come into operation in 2029, was disclosed a little over a month ago.

Shortly after that, TechnipFMC was put in charge of the integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (iEPCI) work thanks to a contract amounting to over $1 billion.