BHP unit lets pre-FEED contract for FPU at Trion

BHP Billiton Petroleo Operaciones de Mexico, a unit of Australia's BHP, has let a contract to McDermott International Inc. to provide pre-front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) services for a floating production unit (FPU) that will be installed in a water depth of 8,200 ft at Trion field, 19 miles south of the US-Mexico border and 112 miles from the Mexican coastline.

The pre-FEED scope includes engineering tasks related to the configuration, sizing and preliminary analysis of the FPU, including topsides, hull, risers, and mooring.

McDermott will work in partnership with Houston Offshore Engineering (HOE) and Wood on the pre-FEED, with McDermott's Houston office leading engineering services—supported by its Mexico City office—and HOE and Wood providing engineering for the hull and topsides, respectively. McDermott will perform project management, execution planning, and estimation services. Installation studies will be performed by McDermott's Marine Operations and technical support for fabrication and integration planning will be handled by McDermott's Mexico-based Altamira Fabrication Yard.

The project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed in this year’s third quarter. The contract award, valued by McDermott at $1-50 million, will be reflected in the company’s first quarter backlog.

BHP holds 60% interest and operatorship in Trion. PEMEX holds 40%.