McDermott announced the safe and successful completion of engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) activities in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell), a subsidiary of Shell plc. 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. “Our relationship with Shell is one marked by trust, a focus on operational excellence, and solution-oriented project delivery. Together, we overcame challenges and made history with the debut of the Amazon in the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting its strategic value for subsea field developments in ultra-deepwater environments.”
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.
The Shell Whale development, located about 200 miles southwest of Houston, features a semi-submersible production platform, with capability for remote operations and monitoring of almost every aspect of the facility –
representing a significant advancement in sustainable, high-efficiency energy production.
