Banyu Urip FSO bid round begins: Report

ExxonMobil has launched the prequalification round for the leasing and conversion of a 1.7-million barrel floating storage offloading (FSO) to be deployed in Banyu Urip project in the Cepu Block off East Java, Upstream reported.

Sources have advised Prosafe, Modec and Tanker Pacific are among those shortlisted to bid for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covering the supply of a FSO to be converted from a 1990s vintage very large crude carrier (VLCC).

The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of this year with delivery scheduled for 2012.

As earlier reported in Upstream, the EPC package for the FSO is the fourth of five packages to have been released in stages for the Banyu Urip project.

ExxonMobil has previously called for a separate prequalification round for the engineering, procurement, installation and construction of a 23-kilometre, 20-inch offshore pipeline and mooring tower.

The project also covers the construction of an onshore oil station capable of handling 185,000 bpd of oil and 124,000 cubic feet of gas. The outputs will be transported via a 20-inch 71-kilometre onshore pipeline to coast for export to the FSO.(*)