J Ray McDermott, a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc, will supply a wellhead platform and pipeline, for the Al Khaleej Gas Project formerly known as the Enhanced Gas Utilisation (EGU) Project in Qatar's North Field.
The development follows a new contract signed by J Ray and ExxonMobil Middle East Gas Marketing Ltd. Work of this type is typically valued at over $150 million, a J. Ray spokesman said.
"This contract is one of the options that have been exercised under the original RasGas (II) Expansion Project contract, awarded to J Ray in April 2001, and entails the fabrication of a 2,100-tonne wellhead deck, and 1,300-tonne jacket. J. Ray will also be responsible for the installation of a second 98km 38" pipeline from the platform to the onshore terminal. Options for additional wellhead platforms, intra-field pipelines and trunk lines still exist within the original contract," he said.
Under the original contract, J Ray is responsible for the turnkey project management, design engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, hook-up and mechanical completion of two wellhead platforms (WH7 & WH5), a 93km offshore to onshore trunk line and a 28" intrafield pipeline tied into the trunk line to shore via a subsea Wye Piece connection.
Detailed engineering will be undertaken by the Jebel Ali engineering team. Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc., (also part of the McDermott group and based in Houston, Texas) will provide pipeline design engineering, with pipeline installation and construction support from Jebel Ali.
"By combining our engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation entities to provide an integrated solution, we are able to ensure complete control over individual project elements and eliminate the interface problems associated with a project of this complexity," said Kurt Nelson, vice president and general manager, J Ray McDermott's Eastern Hemisphere operations.
Fast-track work on the wellhead jacket has commenced at J Ray's Jebel Ali fabrication yard. Work on the deck is set to commence in September 2003. The jacket is scheduled to be installed using one of J Ray's own derrick lay barges by the end of December 2003, with deck installation and pipelay set to complete by September 2005.
"We have been closely involved in the development of Qatar's North Field since its inception back in 1994," said Nelson. "We successfully performed EPCI work for RasGas Trains 1 and 2, comprising a process platform, a living quarters platform, three wellhead platforms, a riser platform, a flare platform and five interconnecting bridges."
RasGas (II) is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Exxon Mobil.
