Harland & Wolff wins GBP 61 million FPSO upgrade contract

Canada’s Cenovus Energy has placed a GBP 61 million contract for the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of its FPSO SeaRose FPSO with Northern Ireland’s Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The FPSO will leave Canadian waters towards the end of January and will spend three months undergoing upgrade work, with 70 days in Harland’s Building Dock.

The MLU of this 20-year old vessel will provide a further 14 years of service life.

The firm contract for the MLU of SeaRose FPSO follows the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) on the project at the beginning of 2023 between Calgary-based Cenovus and the Northern Ireland shipyard. A number of pre-arrival work has already started at the Belfast yard, including inspections, procurement of steel, fabrication of customised blocks and other drydock operations.

Harland & Wolff said that at its peak the MLU of the FPSO would employ around 1,000 workers, including sub-contractors.

Following the upgrading work SeaRose FPSO will be used on the re-started West White Rose project offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. Cenovus said that first oil from the field is expected in the first half of 2026.

The 150,000dwt SeaRose FPSO is a newly built vessel, delivered by South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries in 2004 and this is the second time that the vessel has repaired at this yard. The first time was in 2012 for a scheduled drydocking.

The FPSO is too big to be drydocked in any Canadian east coast shipyard.

Meanwhile, undergoing repair at this yard on 15 January were the following two vessels:

• MAS Islander (ex Costa Atlantica) – alongside at the yard. This vessel was sold by Carnival Corp to Margaritaville at Sea, after being laid-up offshore Cyprus and in Cagliari since the Covid-19 pandemic. She will operate Caribbean cruises for her new owners after undergoing a major upgrade and conversion project. It has yet to be confirmed if Harland & Wolff will carry out this complete project.
• Songa Crystal – 12,927dwt 2006-built chemical tanker, owned by US operator Navig8 Chemicals, Westport, CT, vessel is in drydock