ALP ready to tow Kaombo FPSO to Angola for Saipem-Interoil Operations
ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands – Interoil/Saipem has selected ALP Maritime Services (ALP) to provide five vessels to perform tow assistance and heading control services for the Kaombo FPSO project.
Project services include tow-assist operations from the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore to Angola by two of ALP’s 300-ts Bollard Pull ALP FUTURE class vessels.
On arrival in Angola, the FUTURE class vessels will be joined by three additional vessels from the ALP fleet, which are required to keep the platform Kaombo Norte accurately stationed during connection to its mooring lines. On completion of the mooring operation, two of the vessels will continue to support the riser pull-in operation.
Last week, Saipem awarded GranEnergia, a Brazilian offshore accommodation solutions provider, a contract for the DP3 compact semi-submersible vessel Venus for Kaombo project support.
Total’s Kaombo project will develop six of the 12 discoveries already made on Block 32 offshore Angola. The six fields (Gengibre, Gindungo, Caril, Canela, Mostarda, and Louro) cover an area of 800 km2 in the central and southeast part of the block will be connected via 300 km of subsea pipelines to two FPSO units, Kaombo Norte and Kaombo Sul.
As for Saipem’s involvement in the project, it was awarded a $4 billion contract for the conversion and delivery of the two FPSOs for the Kaombo project, following the final investment decision made by Total in April 2014.
The two FPSOs are being converted from VLCC sister ships by Sembcorp Marine in the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore.
