Shell Offshore Inc. has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Seatrium Ltd. subsidiary Seatrium Oil and Gas International Pte. Ltd. for construction work related to the proposed Sparta floating development project in the Gulf of Mexico about 170 miles off the Louisiana coast (OGJ Online, June 29, 2022).
Sparta straddles four blocks (915, 916, 958, and 959) of the Garden Banks area in about 1,300 m of water.
The floating production unit is envisioned as a replicable project between Shell and Seatrium to leverage Seatrium’s topsides single lift integration methodology, following the Vito and Whale newbuild infrastructure, Seatrium said in a release Aug. 28. It comprises a single topside module supported by a four-column semisubmersible floating hull.
The final contract award is subject to a final investment decision. Shell (operator, 51%) and Equinor Energy AS (49%) are progressing the project toward a final investment decision expected later this year.
