ExxonMobil handed Technip a contract for the development of the Julia field, a US$4 billion project Exxon and partner Statoil announced last month.
The contract covers the project management, engineering, fabrication, installation and pre-commissioning of more than 48 km of 10.75-inch outer diameter insulated flowlines, steel catenary risers and flowline end terminations.
Technip's operating center in Houston will perform the overall project management, with detailed flowline design being completed by Technip subsidiary, Genesis. The flowlines and risers will be welded at Technip's spoolbase in Mobile, Alabama, and the offshore installation is expected to be completed in 2015 by the Deep Blue, one of Technip’s deepwater pipelay vessels.
The Julia field, discovered in 2007, is located in the Gulf of Mexico, and is thought to contain about six billion barrels of resource in place. Exxon said the initial development phase will be designed to produce 34,000 bo/d.
Exxon projects drilling operations to begin in 2014 and first oil to follow in 2016. The company holds 50% interest, with Statoil holding the other 50%.
