Swiss technology group ABB has secured work on an ExxonMobil floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit slated for the South American Uaru oilfield.
Under the contract, awarded by Offshore Frontier Solution in Singapore, a joint venture between Japanese floater specialist Modec and Toyo Engineering Corp, ABB will deliver the topside and hull electrical systems for the Errea Wittu FPSO offshore Guyana.
ABB said it would also deploy a power management system and condition monitoring digital solutions to optimise the energy efficiency of operations. The order marks the fourteenth collaboration between ABB and Modec on FPSO developments across South America.
The Uaru field is part of ExxonMobil’s Starbroek project with a targeted start-up in 2026. The $12.7bn project will involve several industry majors including Modec, TechnipFMC, Saipem and Aker Solutions. The FPSO will have the capacity to store 2b barrels of oil. It will produce about 250,000 bopd and will have a gas treatment capacity of 540m cfd, and a water injection capacity of 350,000 bpd.
Guyana is second only to Brazil in the number of new FPSO projects set to start operations and, according to Rystad Energy, is expected to produce 1.7m bopd by 2035 which would make it the fourth largest offshore oil producer in the world.
“The FPSO market in South America is growing exponentially driven by the fact that floating platforms are a more cost-efficient, quicker, mobile, and sustainable solution to traditional rigs,” said Brandon Spencer, president of ABB Energy Industries, adding: “Guyana is at the forefront of this growth, and we are thrilled to contribute our technology to help bring this fifth development for ExxonMobil in Guyana to market quickly and efficiently.”
