MODEC's FPSO Errea Wittu has arrived in Guyana, where it will process crude for ExxonMobil Guyana's Snoek, Mako and Uaru fields in the Stabroek block and hold as much as 2 million barrels of oil, the company said. The vessel now moves into final offshore preparation and commissioning ahead of first oil.

The FPSO sits about 200 kilometers off the Guyana coast in 1,690 meters of water, held in place by a SOFEC spread mooring system. An FPSO is a ship-shaped vessel that processes crude oil at sea and stores it until it can be pumped onto a tanker, removing the need for a fixed platform or an onshore pipeline connection.

Soichi Ide, head of MODEC's floating production solutions business, called the arrival "a significant milestone for MODEC, our client, ExxonMobil Guyana, and our partners." He said the delivery, from early engineering and construction through onshore commissioning, came out of teamwork among MODEC, its partners and local communities in Guyana.

Built for high-volume processing

Errea Wittu is built on MODEC's newer hull design, with a full double hull and a larger topsides deck to fit high-capacity processing systems, MODEC said. The vessel also carries a gas turbine combined cycle system, which the company said cuts CO2 emissions and helps run operations more efficiently.

MODEC said the FPSO's design allows for remote operation from shore in the future, and that AI-enabled systems on board are meant to help predict equipment failures, cut emissions and flag process safety issues.

Key numbers

  • Distance offshore: about 200 kilometers
  • Water depth: 1,690 meters
  • Storage capacity: about 2 million barrels of crude
  • Mooring: SOFEC spread mooring system

MODEC's long-term role in Guyana

Beyond delivering the vessel, MODEC will provide ExxonMobil Guyana with operations and maintenance services for the FPSO. MODEC described the arrival as the start of a longer-term commitment to Guyana, saying it plans to work with Guyanese stakeholders on local development, knowledge sharing and skills development.

Errea Wittu is MODEC's first FPSO built for use in Guyana. It is the company's 18th FPSO or FSO project delivered for operations in South America.

We reported that Sercel would run SIMOPS software on ExxonMobil's Guyana Whiptail project.