Woodside Energy Ltd has approved capital expenditure for its share of the first phase of the Vincent oil field development, off North West Cape in Western Australia. Vincent is about 50km north-west of Exmouth and is in production licence WA-28-L. Vincent will be developed in phases and is subject to government approvals. Oil will be produced through a sub-sea development and processed and stored in a disconnectable, double-hull FPSO. Estimated capital cost for the project’s first phase is about US$720 million (A$1 billion). Woodside has a 60% interest in Vincent and is operator. Mitsui E&P Australia Pty Ltd holds the remaining 40% share.

MAERSK Contractors has won a contract to manage and operate the FPSO for Woodside for seven years over the oil field. It will also design the vessel and manage construction work. Singapore's Keppel Shipyard will convert the 2000-built ultra large crude carrier Ellen Maersk (308,491 dwt) starting early next year and will install the processing facilities, topsides and Maersk-designed mooring system. For the Vincent project, Maersk is working with the Australian Industry Capability Network to maximise local content and will employ 60 engineers during the design and construction phase.

Vetco Aibel has signed a contract with Maersk Contractors for the design, build and start up of the topsides process and facilities modules for the Vincent FPSO. The scope of work for the contract consists of process modules for crude and produced water treatment including water injection system, gas compression and treatment, power generation, utility module, flare system, pipe racks and some minor process packages. Engineering will take place in Billingstad near Oslo, Norway, in Thailand and in Singapore. Fabrication will be done in South East Asia.

Advanced Production & Loading is providing a disconnectable turret mooring system.

FMC Technologies has been awarded an $81 million contract to supply the subsea systems. The work scope includes the supply of 11 enhanced vertical subsea trees, related control and tie-in systems and two production manifolds. Manufacturing and delivery of the equipment will be carried out by FMC's facilities in Kongsberg, Norway and Singapore.

Technip has been awarded the design, engineering, procurement, installation, construction and pre-commissioning umbilicals, risers and flowlines between the Vincent production wells and the project's floating production, storage and offloading vessel. The flexible flowlines will be supplied by Flexi France. The umbilicals will be supplied by Duco in Newcastle, UK. The Venturer will support the offshore operations, which are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2007. The work will be supported by TS7AP, a joint venture between Technip and Subsea 7 for subsea offshore operations in Asia-Pacific.

Acergy has won a contract worth about $40 million for the transportation and installation of a single-turret buoy system for the floating production, storage and offloading vessel and the installation of a subsea manifold and multi-phase pump structures. The work is scheduled for the third quarter of 2007.

First oil from Vincent is planned for 2008, with initial production of about 100,000 barrels of oil a day.