Seatrium Secures Contract for Sparta FPU Construction and Integration with Shell

Seatrium has been awarded a significant contract by Shell for the construction and integration of the hull, topsides, and living quarters of the Sparta semi-submersible Floating Production Unit (FPU). This comprehensive contract also encompasses the installation of equipment provided by Shell, following the formal Letter of Intent agreed upon by both entities on August 28, 2023.

The Sparta FPU is set to be located in the Garden Banks region of the US Gulf of Mexico, roughly 275 kilometers (171 miles) off the Louisiana coast. It is designed with a unique single topside supported by a fourcolumn, semi-submersible floating hull, capable of producing 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). Seatrium, a global leader in engineering solutions for the marine, offshore, and energy sectors, is renowned for its innovative approach in assembling topsides.

This method, known for its safety and efficiency, is conducted at ground level to significantly reduce work-at-height risks for personnel. The Sparta project will feature a two-level topside, which will be integrated and then elevated to the hull using Seatrium’s revolutionary Goliath twin cranes, each with a lifting capacity of up to 30,000 tonnes. The Sparta FPU project is envisioned as a replicable model in the collaboration between Shell and Seatrium, aiming to capitalize on the group’s unique methodology for single lift topside integration. This approach, previously utilized in the Vito and Whale newbuilds, is expected to bring about significant operational synergies.