Recently, the "Mero 3 FPSO project naming and delivery ceremony" was held in CIMC Raffles Yantai Base. 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.
Mr. Han Yaodong, Vice Mayor of Yantai City, Dato Norman, Malaysian Ambassador to China, Mr. Gao Xiang, CIMC President, Captain Rajalingam, MISC President and Group CEO, Mr. Henrique Paes Vaz, Petrobras MERO3 Project Contract Manager, Mr. Wang Jianzhong, CIMC Raffles Group President and other leaders graced the ceremony.
The Petrobras FPSO project manager, Tereza Cristina Parente Leocadio, acting as lady sponsor, named the vessel "FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias". The name of the vessel means excellence, safety and success.
Delivery of a full set of typical FPSO topside modules and achieving 28 million safe working hours without LTI
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. This has further consolidated CIMC Raffles’ detailed design capability for FPSO. 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 instead of carrying them out in the anchorage area has been more economical and efficient.
The project team has always adhered to the HSE concept of "complying to law and regulations, safety and health, green operation" to strictly implement the CIMC Raffles lean safety "9+8" management system. With that, CIMC Raffles has achieved a record of 28 million safe hours with 0 LTI, and won the "HSSE Outstanding Contribution Gold Medal" from MISC. Captain Rajalingam, President and Group CEO of MISC, said that such a milestone has not been seen for many years and is a testament to the shared commitment to safety between MISC and CIMC Raffles as well as the other stakeholders.
"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. Thanks to our joint efforts, we have achieved a number of significant achievements." Speech by Captain Rajalingam.
"The project was designed, built and commissioned to the highest quality and safety standards, providing important assurance for subsequent operations. At the same time, the construction of the project has also achieved very high safety achievements. In the face of challenges, CIMC Raffles has never let Petrobras down." Mr. Henrique Paes Vaz, contract manager for the MERO3 project, said.
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. Its delivery has also established a good start for future in-depth cooperations amongst MISC, Petrobras and other relevant parties.
CIMC Raffles established the ability of “One Yard Solution” for clients
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.
Mr. Gao Xiang, president of CIMC Group, pointed out that the global offshore engineering industry has fully recovered and is flourishing. Offshore engineering is CIMC's strategic business with FPSO the most important part of the business.CIMC looks forward to continuously working with all colleagues to make use of the full potential of the company strengths in terms of facilities, capital and technology to seize the opportunities of The Times, to achieve prosperity.
"Thanks to the trust and support bestowed by the Owner, the care given by relevant parties, and the efforts of the team, CIMC Raffles has continuously been enriched in the track records of oil and gas production platforms. 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. We will always adhere to innovation and lean management, and strive to provide customers with one-stop solutions, so as to jointly contribute to the beautiful ocean and global energy sustainable development." Said Wang Jianzhong, president of CIMC Raffles Group.
