FMC Takes $135-Million Contract for Subsea Equipment

Sept. 21, 2011
North Sea natural-gas project set for 2013

Houston-based FMC Technologies Inc. will manufacture subsea production equipment for BG Norge’s development of the Knarr natural-gas field, 1,320 feet below the North Sea. It's a contract valued at $135 million, according to FMC, which designs and produces a range of systems for offshore oil-and-gas exploration, including subsea production and processing systems; surface wellhead systems; fluid control equipment; measurement equipment; and marine loading systems.

The BG Group is a natural-gas concern with units that handle exploration and production, liquefication, and transmission and distribution. The BG Norge division oversees the group’s licenses and developments in Norway. The Knarr field (formerly called Jordbaer) is located in Norwegian territory.

FMC is already engaged on two projects for Norway’s Statoil ASA, involving oil wells: a $70-million workover system to be placed in the Statfjord field; and a $50-million package of subsea production equipment for the Visund Nord development.

FMC's scope of supply in the new contract includes three sets of subsea production trees and water injection trees. Also, it will supply six subsea control modules, five wellheads, two manifolds and other related equipment and controls.

Deliveries for the Knarr project will begin in the spring of 2013.

"This is the first call-off order under the new multi-year frame agreement," stated Tore Halvorsen, FMC senior vice president for Global Subsea Production Systems. "We recently completed a detailed engineering study for the project, and we are eager to now support the field with our subsea systems."