Norwegian firm to deliver compressors for SBM Offshore’s new FPSO

China Merchant Heavy Industries (CMHI) has contracted Norway-headquartered TMC Compressors to deliver the completed marine compressed air system for a newbuild FPSO the Chinese yard is constructing for Dutch FPSO operator SBM Offshore.

Under the contract whose value remains undisclosed, TMC will provide a large-capacity marine compressed air system, including compressors for control and service air on board the FPSO.

TMC will manufacture and assemble the equipment in Europe and deliver it to CMHI in China.

According to the Norwegian company, the marine compressed air system is designed specifically for offshore and marine use and has been developed to allow the vessel crew to conduct equipment maintenance themselves.

“Several of the FPSOs in SBM Offshore’s current fleet are equipped with a marine compressed air system from TMC. They know our technology well and we are familiar with both CMHI and SBM Offshore’s expectations and demands to us as a supplier,” said Hans Petter Tanum, TMC’s Director of sales and business development.

“SBM typically operates with a FPSO fleet uptime of close to 100 percent. That automatically becomes the benchmark for TMC’s equipment. As FPSOs are generally located far from shore, you need the most reliable equipment. That is why winning FPSO contracts is considered a seal of approval in terms of product quality and reliability.”

It is worth mentioning that SBM Offshore recently secured a contract to perform front-end engineering and design (FEED) for an FPSO vessel destined to work on ExxonMobil’s sixth deepwater oil development project on the Stabroek block offshore Guyana.

Following FEED and subject to government approvals of the development plan in Guyana, project sanctioning, including the final investment decision by ExxonMobil to release the second phase of work, SBM Offshore will design and construct the FPSO using its Fast4Ward program and allocate its seventh new build, multi-purpose floater hull, combined with several standardized topsides modules.

The Dutch company also recently joined forces with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) to offer a CO2 capture solution for FPSO vessels while they produce oil and gas from offshore reservoirs.