–departs shipyard in Singapore

THE Liza Unity, Guyana’s second Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), has already departed the Keppel shipyard in Singapore, and is currently en-route to Guyana.

The Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed in a statement that the oil vessel departed Singapore on September 3, 2021, and is expected to arrive offshore Guyana by mid-November 2021, with an anticipated start-up of production in early 2022.

The Liza Unity FPSO has a capacity of approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day, which is expected to supplement the existing Liza Destiny FPSO that currently produces approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

Together, these two vessels will pave the way for Guyana’s oil production to be ramped up to approximately 330,000 barrels of oil per day in 2022.

It was reported that once it arrives, the Liza Unity will be linked to a seabed in the Stabroek Block, where further installation of its umbilicals and risers will take place, allowing the next phase of operations to start.

According to SBM Offshore: “The Liza Unity FPSO has also been awarded the SUSTAIN-1 notation by ABS, the Classification Society.”

This means that the design and construction of the unit is assessed against and adheres to the requirements of the ABS Guide for Sustainability Notations, aligned with the applicable Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

Commendably, the company said that the Liza Unity is the world’s first FPSO to achieve such recognition for sustainability for its design, documentation and operational procedures.

“Examples of features recognised by the SUSTAIN-1 class notation include energy efficiency management, mitigation of ozone depleting substances and management of hazardous materials throughout the life cycle,” the company said in a statement.

Commenting on the construction of the oil vessel, Olivier Icyk, Managing Director, Floating Production Solutions, said that the company is pleased to see that the Liza Unity FPSO is ready for the next phase and looks forward to working closely with its client, ExxonMobil, to ensure that the start-up of the FPSO is a success.

“We are also very proud to see Liza Unity obtaining the SUSTAIN-1 class notation, the world’s first FPSO to do so. At SBM Offshore, we work closely with our clients and our supply chain towards the goal of reducing emissions from our products. This is an important step in our journey to deliver safe, sustainable and affordable energy from the oceans,” Icyk related.

SBM Offshore added too that the FPSO will be spread moored in water depth of about 1,600 meters and will be able to store around two million barrels of crude oil. There are also 19 topside modules.

Prior to the Liza Unity setting sail for Guyana, First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali, was named its ‘Godmother.’

PROSPERITY FPSO
Meanwhile, construction of Guyana’s third FPSO, the Prosperity FPSO, is moving apace, with the hull already at the shipyard in Singapore.

SBM Offshore recently announced that despite various challenges posed by the ongoing global pandemic, the unit remains on schedule to be completed in 2024.

“Drydock activities are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with the installation of major structures that will support the Mooring and Subsea Risers,” SBM Offshore said last month.

It was related that in keeping with the standardisation philosophy that guides the Fast4Ward® programme, the Prosperity FPSO will largely replicate the design used for the Liza Unity FPSO.

Once installed, the vessel is intended to produce roughly 220,000 barrels of oil per day and will be able to store approximately two million barrels of crude oil. Prosperity is slated to join her sister vessels Liza Unity, and Liza Destiny, operational since end of 2019, offshore Guyana.