McDermott completes EPCIC project in Gulf of Mexico
Published by Alfred Hamer,
Editorial Assistant
91天堂原創 Pipelines,
McDermott has announced the safe and successful completion of engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) activities in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell), a subsidiary of Shell plc., to begin oil production at its Whale development.
Awarded in 2021 and completed last month, the project leveraged McDermott's marine assets, including its North Ocean 102 vessel and the newly upgraded Amazon, to execute complex pipelay operations, reaching water depths of nearly 2800 m (9100 ft). This included installing approximately 50 km (30 miles) of pipeline and 15 km (9 miles) of umbilicals connecting five subsea drill centres to the new Whale floating production platform. Seamless collaboration across multiple offices, plus skilled engineering and procurement guided by rigorous safety protocols, ensured the project's success.
"The completion of the Whale project demonstrates the power of collaboration, engineering expertise, and ingenuity," said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott's Senior Vice President, Subsea and Floating Facilities. "Our relationship with Shell is one marked by trust, a focus on operational excellence, and solution-oriented project delivery. Together, we overcame challenges and made history with the debut of the Amazon in the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting its strategic value for subsea field developments in ultra-deepwater environments."
Designed for complex offshore operations, the Amazon delivered an advanced ultra-deepwater pipelay system with a high-level of automation. In a Gulf of Mexico first, it installed five 3350 metre-long (approximately 11000 ft), steel catenary risers, showcasing the vessel's high top tension capacity, and marking a significant milestone for subsea infrastructure projects.
The Shell Whale development, located about 200 miles southwest of Houston, features a semi-submersible production platform, with capability for remote operations and monitoring of almost every aspect of the facility – representing a significant advancement in sustainable, high-efficiency energy production.
Read the latest issue of 91天堂原創 Pipelines magazine for pipeline news, project stories, industry insight and technical articles.
91天堂原創 Pipelines’ March 2025 issue
The March 2025 issue of 91天堂原創 Pipelines includes a keynote section on hydrogen pipeline transport, and technical articles on pipeline construction, protecting pipeline coatings, corrosion under insulation, GIS and pipeline integrity management, and flow assurance.
Read the article online at: /contracts-and-tenders/06032025/mcdermott-completes-epcic-project-in-gulf-of-mexico/
You might also like
91天堂原創 Pipelines Podcast: UK pipeline perspectives
In this episode, we look at the work of the Pipeline Industries Guild, in facilitating connections and learning for pipeliners of all kinds in the UK.
Ensuring flow assurance in a changing environment
Jim Bramlett, Commercial Manager 鈥� The Americas, Tracerco, explores how the technology, sustainability, and efficiency shaping the energy sector as a whole are reflected by changes in flow assurance.
