Seatrium Singapore, former Sembcorp Singapore, recently completed the construction of Shell’s Floating Production Unit (FPU). The 10,200-ton giant needed weighing and skidding, and Seatrium tagged in Mammoet for the task. 

The Whale development will be the latest addition to Shell’s Gulf of Mexico portfolio. The FPU, comprising the topside module placed onto a four-column semi-submersible floating hull, will weigh a staggering 25,000-ton in total.

Mammoet used 25 650-ton skid shoes, 12 push-pull units, four 135-metre skid tracks and 12 link and transport beams for the skidding loadout.  The setup allowed Mammoet to manoeuvre and load out the topside seamlessly.

The Whale development, owned by Shell Offshore (60 per cent, operator) and Chevron U.S.A. (40 per cent), is expected to reach peak production of approximately 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) and currently has an estimated, recoverable resource volume of 490 million boe. Whale will be Shell’s 12th deep-water host in the Gulf of Mexico and is currently scheduled to begin production in 2024.

The Whale production facility is in the Alaminos Canyon Block 773 and is adjacent to the Shell-operated Silvertip field, approximately 10 miles from the Shell-operated Perdido platform and approximately 200 miles southwest of Houston.