Preparing for Goliat in Korea

Published: 03.11.11

For over a year Omega has had consultants assigned to the world’s largest shipyard in Ulsan, Korea; these consultants are part of the team building Eni`s production ship for Goliat.

Omega in Korea

• Eni awarded Omega a frame agreement in 2010. As part of the agreement Omega consultants will assist in building Eni`s FPSO ship for the Goliat field
• Goliat FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) has an oil production capacity of 100 000 bbls/day, a gas production of 3.9 million m3/day and an oil storage capacity of 1 million bbls
• Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) was awarded the shipbuilding contract, planned to be completed mid 2013
• Up to 14 Omega consultants have been assigned to HHI`s shipyard, in the South Korean city of Ulsan, since 2010
• The shipyard is currently considered to be the world’s largest, stretching over a four-kilometer costal area, and has more than 26 000 Hyundai employees
• The Goliat field was discovered in the Barents Sea in 2000, and has a planned production start for 2013
• Eni holds a 65 per cent share in the field, while Statoil holds the the remaining 35 per cent

Consultants Manager, Trond Aarsland, and Omega’s International Business Coordinator, Olav Ingvaldsen, visited Omega’s delegation in Korea in October.

“Ever since Eni started building its FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) ship for the Goliat field, Omega consultants have been working on the production at the Korean shipyard. It was high time we paid them a visit,” says Aarsland.

High activity

As part of Omega`s frame agreement with Eni, Omega will deliver consultant services to the production of Eni`s FPSO ship. The ship is a floating, circular unit which, after completion, will be heading for the Goliat field in the Barents Sea. Since building began in 2010, up to 14 Omega consultants have been involved in the project in Korea. Hyundai Heavy Industries was awarded the building assignment, and Omega's consultants have been located at Hyundai’s shipyard in the Korean city of Ulsan during the project. Activity has been high as all parties work towards the deadline for ship completion in mid 2013.

“Our consultants have more than enough to do and the entire city is dominated by extreme building activity. Hyundai runs the processes relevant to Omega's consultants, and our consultants were satisfied with their workplace at the shipyard. It is an exciting project to be a part of and it is also challenging as many consultants are working in an environment they are not used to,” explains Aarsland.

Omega`s Ulsan consultants are involved in several disciplines ranging from engineering to completion; several of them will be a part of the project until the ship is finished mid 2013 for production start at Goliat.

Major industry

Ulsan is South Korea’s seventh largest city with a population of 1.1 million people, and is one of the most active industrial cities in the country. Hyundai Heavy Industries, with headquarters in Ulsan, is among the world’s largest shipbuilding companies. HHI's shipyard stretches over four kilometers of the city`s coastline. Omega`s representatives were impressed by the site during their visit.

“The volume is unbelievable, and it is difficult to grasp the size of the place. Hyundai delivers two large ships on average every week. We have 14 consultants on location, amongst Hyundai`s more than 26 000,” says Aarsland.

Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan, Korea is currently considered the world`s largest.