Saipem starts operations for the GranMorgu project offshore Suriname
Saipem says that it has officially started its operations for the offshore GranMorgu project in Suriname.
It has done so with the arrival of the multipurpose construction vessel Normand Navigator at the commercial port of Jules Sedney Harbour, in Paramaribo. The vessel is now moored and set to begin the preliminary activities.
The GranMorgu project, operated by TotalEnergies (40%) alongside partners APA Corp. (40%) and Staatsolie (20%), is located in the Block 58, 150 km off the coast, and represents Suriname's first large-scale offshore oil development. It is expected to start up in 2028.
The contract awarded to Saipem in 2024 entails the engineering, procurement, supply, construction, installation, pre-commissioning and assistance for the commissioning and start-up of the subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) package, at water depths ranging from 100 to 1,100 mt. For the offshore campaign, Saipem will deploy a combination of S-lay and J-lay vessels, providing the optimal pipeline installation solution.
To handle the significant volumes of equipment required for Saipem’s execution of the SURF package, the company is deploying a dual-marine base approach.
To this end, Saipem says that it has secured a major logistics hub at the commercial port of Jules Sedney Harbour. Spanning an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 square meters, this facility is dedicated to the reception, handling, and storage of all incoming pipes, equipment, and standard containers before they are loaded onto supply vessels bound for the offshore fields.
As the second pillar of Saipem's approach, the DORDT marine support base, also in Paramaribo, will serve to receive, store, and manage heavy subsea structures and manifolds, keeping high-tonnage fabrications segregated and streamlined for deployment.
By utilizing local docks, material handling and transport networks, Saipem says that the subsea campaign will inject significant value directly into the Surinamese supply chain, confirming Saipem’s long-term commitment in the country.
About the Author
Bruce Beaubouef
Managing Editor
Bruce Beaubouef is Managing Editor for Offshore magazine. In that capacity, he plans and oversees content for the magazine; writes features on technologies and trends for the magazine; writes news updates for the website; creates and moderates topical webinars; and creates videos that focus on offshore oil and gas and renewable energies. Beaubouef has been in the oil and gas trade media for 25 years, starting out as Editor of Hart’s Pipeline Digest in 1998. From there, he went on to serve as Associate Editor for Pipe Line and Gas Industry for Gulf Publishing for four years before rejoining Hart Publications as Editor of PipeLine and Gas Technology in 2003. He joined Offshore magazine as Managing Editor in 2010, at that time owned by PennWell Corp. Beaubouef earned his Ph.D. at the University of Houston in 1997, and his dissertation was published in book form by Texas A&M University Press in September 2007 as The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: U.S. Energy Security and Oil Politics, 1975-2005.