Palfinger Marine lifeboat systems set for Johan Castberg FPSO

Austria’s Palfinger Marine has won a deal to supply four FF1200 freefall lifeboat systems to Statoil’s Johan Catsberg FPSO.

Palfinger said on Thursday that the scope of the deal awarded by Sembcorp Marine, company contracted to build the FPSO hull, comprised of four FF1200 systems, freefall lifeboats with RA 1200 davits.

According to the company, the systems are designed and approved for the strict regulations for operation on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Delivery is scheduled for the first half of 2019.

Oddgeir Mælen, sales manager at Palfinger Marine’s lifesaving division, said: “We have delivered more than 100 FF1200 systems over the past years, several for ambitious projects, such as recently to Johan Sverdrup.

“The Castberg project shows that Statoil has high confidence in Palfinger Marine equipment and trust in our performance. It proves that the FF1200 and our people involved in carrying out the project are amongst the best in the business.”

It is worth mentioning that the hull and living quarters of the Johan Castberg FPSO will be built and delivered by Sembcorp Marine at the Sembcorp Marine Tuas Boulevard Yard.

The deal for the hull and living quarters is valued at $490 million. After winning the deal, Semcorp Marine hired Aker Solutions to design the living quarters for the FPSO.

“We have worked with the owner, design companies, and yards since the early start of the Castberg development plan by providing technical data to find the best suitable solutions,” added Mælen.

Johan Castberg

The Johan Castberg field is situated approximately 100 kilometers north of the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea. The field is operated by Statoil, with Eni and Petoro as partners.

Statoil submitted the plan for development and operation for the Johan Castberg project back in December 2017.

The field development concept includes an FPSO and a subsea development with a total of 30 wells, ten subsea templates, and two satellite structures. The Johan Castberg development costs are estimated at around NOK 49 billion (approximately $6.22 billion at current exchange rate).

Recoverable resources are estimated at 450 – 650 million barrels of oil equivalent. This makes the Johan Castberg project the biggest offshore oil and gas development to be given the go-ahead in 2017. First oil is scheduled for 2022.