SBM in initial pact with Chinese yard for Whiptail FPSO

SBM Offshore has lined up Chinese yard Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) to build the hull and living quarters for a large floating production, storage and offloading vessel potentially destined for operation offshore Guyana.

Contracting sources familiar with the matter told Upstream that the Dutch floater specialist is involved in advanced talks with SWS for one floater that could be deployed on ExxonMobil’s Stabroek block.

Sources said that SBM has already signed an initial agreement for the FPSO, that would exploit ExxonMobil’s Whiptail discovery at Stabroek, after paying to book a dry-dock at SWS’ Shanghai yard.