Coflexip Stena Awarded NaKika Contract From Shell

Coflexip Stena

Coflexip Stena Offshore Inc., has been awarded by Shell Exploration & Production Company a contract for the installation of the infield flowlines and risers to be completed by the CSO Deep Blue, for the ultra deepwater NaKika project located in the Gulf of Mexico at water depths ranging from 5,800 - 7,000 feet.

This project defines new frontiers for the industry, both in terms of working depths and the level of technology applied to the design and installation of flowlines and risers. The CSO Deep Blue, which will be operating from CSO's Gulf support base in Mobile, Alabama, will demonstrate its unique and versatile pipe laying capabilities. The vessel's systems will enable the installation of the deepest ever pipe-in-pipe system using the J-lay solution, and the deepest ever fully reeled SCR, as well as the deepest ever pipe-in-pipe SCR.

The NaKika project ties back five fields using subsea techniques, to the NaKika floating development and production platform located in Mississippi Canyon block 474. The contract includes the installation in water depths up to 7,000 feet of over 100 miles of high specification flowlines including an 8" reeled gas flowline, an 8" in 12" reeled pipe-in-pipe system, a J-laid 10" in 16" pipe-in-pipe system and steel catenary risers (SCRs). The SCRs which will be installed by the J-lay method, will include an 18" oil export riser, a 20" gas export riser and two pipe-in-pipe steel catenary risers of 8" in 12" and 10" in 16" respectively, as well as two 8" risers and two 4.5" gas lift risers.

CSO will also be responsible for the design and fabrication of the 8" in 12" reeled pipe-in-pipe system, based on a similar successful project recently completed in the Gulf of Mexico where CSO designed and installed one of the deepest pipe-in-pipe flowlines and a complete dynamic steel catenary riser with the reeled method.

Onshore fabrication of all the reeled flowlines and SCRs sections, as well as the mobilization of the J-lay operations, will be performed at CSO's new construction support base located in Mobile, Alabama.

The flowlines and the steel catenary risers, will be installed by the CSO Deep Blue, the Group's new ultra deepwater pipelay vessel, between Q3 2002 and Q2 2003 during two installation campaigns. The vessel will utilize both her J-lay and reel lay capabilities in deepwaters; these are tasks for which she has been designed by CSO, anticipating the future needs of clients for their deep and ultra deep water developments.


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