Keppel set to deliver ‘one of the world’s largest’ FPSOs

Keppel Offshore & Marine’s subsidiary Keppel Shipyard informed on Monday it is on track to deliver what it claims is one of the world’s largest Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSO) to Bumi Armada Berhad for operations in offshore Angola.

The naming ceremony of the FPSO, Armada Olombendo, was held at Keppel Shipyard earlier this month.

Keppel Shipyard converted a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tanker to an FPSO which measures 382 metres in length with the external turret and 58 metres in width. Armada Olombendo has a design life of 20 years and will be deployed on block 15/06 East Hub Field Development off Angola to fulfill its charter contract for the exploration and production company, Eni Angola.

Michael Chia, Managing Director (Marine & Technology) of Keppel O&M, said, “The conversion of the VLCC tanker to FPSO Armada Olombendo is the 16th conversion project that Keppel has executed for Bumi Armada and we are glad to have built a strong win-win partnership with our long-standing client.

“We have recently also delivered a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Floating Storage Unit (FSU) as well as a North Sea-worthy FPSO to Bumi Armada, their first such projects.”

Leon Harland, Chief Executive Officer of Bumi Armada.“Armada Olombendo FPSO is one of Bumi Armada’s great achievements as this is the largest FPSO project undertaken by the company and incorporates both the highest oil production capacity to date and one of the largest external turrets used offshore.”

Keppel Shipyard’s work scope for the Armada Olombendo project includes refurbishment and life extension works, upgrading of living quarters to accommodate 100 personnel, fabrication and installation of an external turret mooring system as well as the fabrication, installation and integration of topside process modules.

Armada Olombendo is able to handle crude oil production capacity of 80,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), 120,000 bpd of water injection, 120 million standard cubic feet (MMscf) of gas handling and has a net storage capacity of 1.7 million barrels.

Keppel also said on Monday it was on track to deliver another FPSO, the Karapan Armada Sterling III, to a joint venture between Shapoorji Pallonji Group (Shapoorji Pallonji) and Bumi Armada Berhad (BAB).