Japanese company gets full EPCI for Hammerhead FPSO

Oct 02, 2025 News

Kaieteur News – Japanese shipbuilder MODEC has been put in charge of the full engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel for ExxonMobil’s seventh oil project Hammerhead.

The project will be the second ship the company will build following Errea Wittu, which is currently being constructed for ExxonMobil Guyana’s Uaru project. According to a report by Offshore Energy, the award comes after the company received a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) in April of this year, which enabled it to commence design activities in support of earliest possible startup in 2029, which is subjected to required government approvals.

Japanese company gets full EPCI for Hammerhead FPSO

An illustration of what the set up would like. (source MODEC)

“The Japanese player claims that the first phase of the contract, covering front-end engineering and design (FEED), has since been completed. As a result, the firm is advancing phase two, entailing EPCI execution readiness in line with project governance,” the report said.

In addition, Soichi Ide, Head of Floating Production Solutions Business Unit of MODEC, commented: “We are honored to be entrusted with the full EPCI scope for Hammerhead. This award reflects MODEC’s integrated capabilities to design, build and operate from concept and FEED through to safe execution and timely delivery of the project.

“Building on the strong progress we’ve made on the Uaru project, this milestone further underscores the momentum of our collaboration. MODEC’s strategic relationship with ExxonMobil Guyana positions us to work with them and our stakeholders to create lasting value throughout the project lifecycle,” he added.

The initial annual average production for the project is 150,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) along with associated water and gas. The Hammerhead FPSO will be moored at a water depth of approximately 1,025 meters, using SOFEC’s spread mooring system.

The Japanese player will provide ExxonMobil with operations and maintenance services for the FPSO for ten years from the first oil date.

“After ExxonMobil revealed a $6.8 billion investment to develop Hammerhead as its seventh deep-water oil development in Guyana’s Stabroek block, the firm hired TechnipFMC and Saipem to lend a helping hand in bringing this project to life,” Offshore Energy said.

MODEC was awarded a contract by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited back in April to build the FPSO vessel for Hammerhead.

In a statement released, the company said that, “the contract is a Limited Notice to Proceed (LNTP) by ExxonMobil Guyana, pending necessary government and regulatory approval. Phase one encompasses Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) while phase two covers Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI).”

The LNTP will allow the company to commence activities related to the design of the vessel which will ensure an early possible project start-up in 2029, once the government gives the greenlight. The second phase which includes construction and installation is also subject to government approval, as well as a project sanction by the operator of the Stabroek Block Exxon and its co-venturers.

“Simultaneously, the Operations and Maintenance Enabling Agreement (OMEA) for MODEC’s Guyana fleet has been established to enable the operations and maintenance of multiple FPSOs under a long-term contractual arrangement,” the company added.

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Errea Wittu, ExxonMobil, Hammerhead FPSO, Japanese company, MODEC, Uaru project

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