MODEC has scooped the contract award covering the front-end engineering and design (FEED) for an FPSO for Shell Petróleodo Brasil Ltda. (Shell) destined for the Gato do Mato development in block S-M-518, offshore Brazil.
The Gato do Mato FPSO will be moored at a water depth of approximately 2000 m, some 250 km off the coast of Brazil. MODEC will be responsible for the design of the hull and all related topsides facilities for the FPSO, which is projected to be moored by a SOFEC spread mooring system. The produced crude will be stored in the FPSO, and the oil will be offloaded to shuttle tankers to go to market.
MODEC has previously delivered 16 FPSOs to Brazil and has two more under construction currently. The Gato do Mato FPSO would be the second unit to be delivered directly to Shell by MODEC for operation in Brazil.
“MODEC is proud to be working on its 19th FPSO for Brazil and our second for Shell in Brazil,” said MODEC President and CEO, Hirohiko Miyata. “This milestone indicates the strong relationship between the two companies which now spans more than 20 years."
The Gato Do Mato development will involve the drilling of about 10 wells and tieback to the FPSO. A final investment decision (FID) for the project is due later this year or in early 2025, with first oil slated for the following year.
Shell alerted contractors in late 2022 that the decision on an FID for the project would be delayed as the operator and its partners looked to trim costs. In June 2022, BW Offshore and Saipem received a limited notice to proceed on early-stage engineering and supplier reservations related to the supply of the FPSO for the project.
Shell operates Gato do Mato with a 50% working interest. Partners Ecopetrol and TotalEnergies hold 30% and 20%, respectively.
