03 Jul 2010

Keppel to deliver latest Maersk FPSO for Brazil’s Peregrino field

Keppel Shipyard Ltd (Keppel Shipyard) is on track to complete the conversion of Maersk Peregrino for long time customer Maersk FPSOs.

Maersk Peregrino is chartered to Statoil for deployment in the Peregrino field in the Campos Basin, located 85 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This vessel was converted to Maersk FPSOs’ stringent requirements, which will prepare her to handle the heavy crude oil of the Peregrino field, and operate in its challenging environment safely and efficiently.

Speaking at the vessel’s naming ceremony today, Mr Nils S. Andersen, Group CEO of A. P. Moller – Maersk A/S (Maersk), parent company of Maersk FPSOs, said, “Tailoring the FPSO to meet the requirements of the Peregrino field is a complex undertaking. We have chosen Keppel Shipyard for this massive project due to the skills and competencies of the Keppel yards.

“We are pleased to note the capable leadership and competency of both the Maersk and Keppel teams, resulting in the timely and safe conversion of our latest FPSO. This is a truly remarkable relationship, which we hope to expand and build upon in the future.”

Work on Maersk Peregrino involved the marine conversion of a newbuild VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier); the installation and integration of the topside modules; the assembly, installation and integration of the APL internal turret; the fabrication and installation of the flare tower, process piperack and helideck; and the upgrading of the accommodation quarters.

The vessel is scheduled to depart Keppel Shipyard in the third quarter of this year, and is expected to achieve first oil in early 2011. Maersk Peregrino has a storage capacity of 1.6 million barrels of oil, and will be able to process 100,000 barrels of oil per day on location.

Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chief Executive Officer of Keppel Corporation Limited and Chairman of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd, said, “More than a customer, Maersk is also one of our key partners in safety, who has contributed significantly to our efforts in creating an incident-free workplace for all at Keppel Shipyard.

“Leading up to the completion of Maersk Peregrino, our teams will continue to work hard to ensure that no one gets hurt. With the combined efforts and commitment of the Keppel and Maersk project teams, I am confident that we will deliver a fine FPSO that will serve Statoil well throughout her deployment in Brazil.”

Keppel’s partnership with Maersk spans more than 30 years, which started with a successful rig repair undertaken by the Group’s Offshore Division. The naming of Maersk Peregrino follows closely on the heels of the early delivery of Maersk’s third DSSTM 21 deepwater semisubmersible (semi) drilling rig earlier this year. Keppel Shipyard has also serviced more than 200 vessels for Maersk since 2001. Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd has contributed to Maersk’s fleet over the years, building six anchor handling tugs / supply vessels, five jackup rigs, four semis and two FPSO conversions.

Maersk Peregrino was named at Keppel Shipyard by Lady Sponsor Mrs Eva Ruud, spouse of Mr Morten Ruud, Statoil’s Executive Vice President for Projects and Project Director for Peregrino Project.

About Maersk FPSOs

Maersk FPSOs, part of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group, a worldwide conglomerate, owns and operates mobile oil and gas production units for oil companies around the world. Its fleet presently consists of five Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) and a Jack-Up Production Module, deployed in the North Sea, Norway, Australia, West Africa and Brazil. Maersk FPSOs – formerly named Maersk Contractors – was established in 1995.

About Keppel Shipyard

Keppel Shipyard is a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation, through Keppel Offshore & Marine, a leader in offshore rig repair, design and construction, ship repair and conversion, and specialised shipbuilding. Keppel O&M’s near market, near customer strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and the North Sea regions. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to be the provider of choice and partner for solutions for the offshore and marine industry.

For further information, please contact

Roy Tan
Keppel Group Corporate Communications
Tel: (65) 6413 6421
Email: roy.tan@kepcorp.com

Attachments:

Download - Speech by Mr Choo Chiau Beng

Celebrating the naming of the FPSO Maersk Peregrino are Lady Sponsor, Mrs Eva Ruud (centre), and the management of Keppel, Maersk and Statoil.

The state-of-the-art FPSO, Maersk Peregrino, is another milestone project between the long time partners, Keppel and Maersk.

Reaching out to the wider community, Keppel, Maersk and Statoil donated S$50,000 to the Gawad Kalinga Hope Initiative, an international charity organisation which aims to eradicate poverty and build sustainable communities.

Download - High res photos