Offshore staff
(Houston)- Hydro Gulf of Mexico, LLC has awarded Aker Kvaerner a $10 million contract for all aspects of engineering and project management of an advanced umbilical system for the deepwater "Q" field development project in the GoM.
Aker Kvaerner made the announcement at the Offshore Technology Conference held this week in Houston.
In a statement announcing the deal, Aker Kvaerner explained that the project will utilize the company's steel tube umbilical technology, which the company reports confirms its position as the leading supplier of steel tube umbilicals worldwide.
Aker Kvaerner Subsea will supply a 19.5-km steel tube carbon fiber enhanced umbilical, including all surface and subsea terminations, to tie the deepwater "Q" gas field back to the Independence Hub development located in 2,400-m water depth.
The Independence Hub, in Mississippi Canyon Block 920, is the host for an initial 15 subsea wells belonging to the Atwater Valley Producers Group which includes Anadarko's Jubilee, Spiderman, Atlas, Vortex, Cheyenne and Mondo NW fields, Dominion's San Jacinto field, Kerr-McGee's Meganser field and Hydro Gulf of Mexico's "Q" field.
Aker Kvaerner is already delivering the first four carbon rod enhanced steel tube umbilicals to the Independence project in 2006 in what is reported to be the largest umbilical contract ever awarded. Aker has also signed a separate contract to provide subsea controls and distribution equipment for the "Q" field.
Pete Stracke, Hydro's subsea project manager for the "Q" development, commented on Aker's reputation in the subsea equipment market: "Aker Kvaerner has an impressive track record in the supply of steel tube umbilicals and this innovative design specifically addresses the challenges faced by us with regard to the water depth plus the dynamic application."
Raymond Carlsen, executive VP of Aker Kvaerner Subsea, was quoted in the statement as saying, "The advantages of Aker Kvaerner's world leading dynamic umbilical technology are clear - it is an enabling solution for deepwater fields and will become increasingly important as we move into deeper waters."
The umbilical project management, engineering, manufacturing will be performed at the Aker Kvaerner Mobile, Alabama, USA facility, with detailed dynamic analysis performed in Houston by the Aker Kvaerner Deepwater Group.
Delivery is scheduled for November 2006.
5/3/2006
