Fossil Energy – EPCIC
McDermott announces the completion of engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) activities in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell 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 2,800 meters (9,100 feet).
This included installing approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) of pipeline and 15 kilometers (9 miles) of umbilicals connecting five subsea drill centers 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.
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 3,350 meters-long (approximately 11,000 feet), steel catenary risers, showcasing the vessel’s high top tension capacity, and marking a significant milestone for subsea infrastructure projects.
