McDermott has been tapped by Repsol to conduct front-end engineering design (FEED) work for the Polok and Chinwol field development project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Under the contract scope, McDermott will provide comprehensive FEED services for the project's engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines.
“Our extensive experience in subsea engineering and in-house EPCI capabilities uniquely position us to deliver innovative and efficient FEED solutions for Repsol's development of the Polok and Chinwol fields," said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott's senior vice president of subsea and floating facilities. "We look forward to advancing this project with a strong focus on cost-effectiveness, safety, efficiency, and quality delivery."
The project's engineering delivery will be led from McDermott's Houston office.
Earlier this year, Respol engaged BW Offshore to provide FEED series on a floating, production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to host produced volumes from the discovery duo.
“It's a partly paid FEED that’s progressing as well, but it is a FEED,” BW Offshore chief executive officer Marco Beenen told investors in May. “And that means it’s too early to say when that could turn into a contract and how that will exactly look. We're working with the client to find the best field development solution based on the redeployment FPSO.”
The redeployment could take the form of the idle OSX-1 FPSO, which had produced oil for producer OGX at the Tubarão Azul field in the shallow waters of the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. The 60,000 B/D capable vessel was decommissioned and relocated to Norway in 2016.
Polok and Chinwol are in Block 29 of the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier this autumn, Repsol increased its stake in the discovery duo after buying out Thailand’s PTTEP’s entire 16.67% interest in Block 29. At the time of the sale, PTTEP’s chief executive, Montri Rawanchaikul, noted the divestment was part of a portfolio rationalization effort to better align with its current investment strategy.
Both the Polok and Chinwol discoveries were announced in the spring of 2020, with Polok opening a new play within Mexico’s Salina Basin. The Polok-1 exploration well was drilled to a total depth of 2620 m and encountered more than 200 m of net oil pay from two zones in the lower Miocene.
The Chinwol-1 exploration well was drilled to a total depth of 1850 m and found 150 m of net oil pay from three zones in the lower Pliocene.
The discoveries, which are just 12 km apart, are 88 km from the Mexican coastline of Tabasco and approximately 50 km west-northwest of the Zama discovery.
Repsol operates Block 29 with a 46.67% stake. Partners include PC Carigali Mexico (28.33%) and Harbour Energy (25%).
