Brazilian engineering company to lead FPSO construction

Estaleiros do Brasil Ltda. (EBR), a jointly owned Brazilian company, has been awarded an EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation) contract to install topsides units for a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) system.

EBR, which is owned by Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO) and SOG - Óleo e Gás S.A. (SOG), a leading engineering company in Brazil, has been awarded the contract by Petrobras Netherlands B.V., a subsidiary of Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the Brazilian state oil company.

EBR is primarily engaged in EPCI related to offshore facilities and is constructing yard facilities in Estado de Rio Grande do Sul in the southernmost part of Brazil. The modules of the topsides will be assembled and integrated onto the FPSO hull at the new yard.

TOYO said in a statement last week that the new Estado de Rio Grande do Sul yard facilities were being built to increase the ratio of local content in line with Brazilian Government and Petrobras policy.

The new FPSO, called P-74, is scheduled to be deployed in 2016 to an offshore oil field located in the pre-salt layer under deep water in the Franco 1 area off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Last month, it was announced that French engineering company, Technip, had been awarded a contract by Petrobras to supply the topside construction and integration for the P-76 FPSO project.