Aker Solutions cuts first steel for Chinese gas project

Aker Solutions has started fabrication work on the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Lingshui 17-2 gas development project with the first steel cutting of subsea manifold in Tianjin, China.

The cutting of the steel took place on Tuesday at the China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (COOEC) Special Equipment yard in Tanggu.

The first suction anchors to be manufactured include the west suction anchor top frame and bottom skirt. COOEC will also manufacture four subsea manifolds, one subsea distribution unit, and two subsea umbilical termination units for this project.

The steel cutting ceremony was attended by key executives from CNOOC, Aker Solutions, COOEC and its employees at the yard.

“Lingshui 17-2 is the first major gas field discovered in China through CNOOC’s independent exploration and we are fabricating the first deepwater manifold with distribution and control functions,” said Zhou Shengjie, CNOOC’s Executive Deputy General Manager of Lingshui 17-2 gas field development project at the steel cutting ceremony in Tianjin.

Derek Robertson, Project Director of Aker Solutions, said at the ceremony, “This is a key milestone for the Lingshui 17-2 project and we are pleased to start fabrication in close collaboration with CNOOC. It’s a global project and we have teams in different locations working together with CNOOC to ensure the success of the project.”

CNOOC awarded a contract to Aker Solutions to provide subsea production system and umbilicals for the Lingshui 17-2 gas field at the end of last year. The subsea production system consists of 11 horizontal subsea trees, four manifolds, topside and subsea control system and a tie-in connection system.

The project is being executed from Aker Solutions’ facilities in Malaysia, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

Lingshui 17-2 is CNOOC’s first subsea deepwater project developed by the company with water depths of up to about 1,500 meters. The field is located in the South China Sea, off the Hainan Province.

Back in April, Keppel’s Keppel FloaTEC was hired for the provision of engineering services in support of the construction of the Lingshui 17-2 production semi-submersible unit. The offshore facility will be built in China.

In May 2019, InterMoor signed a contract to install deepwater mooring systems for the Liuhua 16-2 and Lingshui 17-2 floating production units in the South China Sea.

The Lingshui 17-2 taut-leg semi-submersible floating production unit will be anchored in 1,220–1,560 meters of water in the Qiongdongnan basin in the northern South China Sea using 16 legs built with driven piles, chain, and polyester rope.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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