Recently, the “Mero 3 FPSO project naming and delivery ceremony” was held in CIMC Raffles Yantai Base. The vessel was named “FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias”, means excellence, safety and success.
This is the first FPSO Conversion Project in China that is completed under a One-Yard Solution whereby the main hull conversion, all modules construction, integration and system commissioning are carried out in the same shipyard. The project was undertaken by CIMC Raffles and will be delivered to ship owner MISC, after which it will provide services to Petrobras for the production and processing of oil extracted from the wells in the Mero field of the Libra block in the pre-salt off Rio de Janeiro.
CIMC is awarded the contract to convert an existing Malaysia registered 300 thousand ton VLCC oil tanker into a FPSO with an overall length of 341.2 m, beam 67.2 m and depth 29.7 m by means of vessel demolitions, repair, life extension, conversion, topside module fabrication and integration for the processing, storage and offloading of oil and gas. The total combined weight of the new modules is about 44,000 tons, and the lightship weight is more than 110,000 tons.
With a 24-point mooring system, the vessel after conversion will have the capacity to produce 180,000 bpd of oil and process 12 million Sm³/day of natural gas and an oil storage capacity of up to 1.45 million barrels. The Mero 3 FPSO will be installed in an operation site with a water depth of about 2,050 m and is an “offshore oil processing plant” that combines processing, storage and offloading, personnel accommodation and production command in a single unit. It is also the first FPSO in the world that employs HISEP technology to effectively reduce carbon release.
During project execution, CIMC Raffles undertook from MISC some of the detailed design works for the main hull and developed thousands of detailed design documents. After the completion of the construction and integration of the complete set of all Topside modules, CIMC Raffles has become the first offshore enterprise in China to perform this feat. Furthermore, CIMC Raffles relying on the only deep water wharf with a depth of 18 meters in China to complete all project commissioning works at the side of the wharf which has been more economical and efficient.
Mero 3 FPSO is the first FPSO conversion project of CIMC Raffles, and the concept of “high standard, high quality and zero injury” runs through the entire life cycle of the project. CIMC Raffles has achieved a record of 28 million safe hours with 0 LTI, and won the “HSSE Outstanding Contribution Gold Medal” from MISC during this project.
“Mero 3 from VLCC to FPSO is a very great project. This project is MISC’s largest FPSO as well as the largest FPSO conversion project CIMC Raffles has undertaken so far. ” Speech by Captain Rajalingam. Its delivery has also established a good start for future in-depth cooperations amongst MISC, Petrobras and other relevant parties.
In recent years, the global deepwater development business has continued to recover with strong market demand for FPSO. CIMC Raffles has seized the industry’s opportunity and making FPSO as a strategic business. By establishing a professional oil and gas research and development center, expanding the site and infrastructure, leveraging on the resource endowment of a deepwater wharf, and innovations on module construction, CIMC Raffles has increased the capacity for FPSO production as resource assurance for promoting business development.
Up to now, CIMC Raffles has delivered the P71 FPSO hull, the P78 FPSO hull Megablocks, and the Topside modules of several FPSO projects. CIMC Raffles is currently undertaking the P80 and P83 FPSO hull construction contract. Moreover, in the field of conversion projects, in addition to the delivery of the Mero 3 FPSO, CIMC Raffles has also undertaken an order for the conversion of a semi-submersible drilling platform into a Floating Production Unit (FPU). This new project is a breakthrough in the gas production platform project for CIMC Raffles.
Currently, CIMC Raffles has the capabilities for detailed design, procurement, construction and integration, and system commissioning, covering the various types of projects such as hull construction, Topside module construction, unit conversion.
