Saipem has begun offshore operations for the GranMorgu project in Suriname following the arrival and mooring of the Normand Navigator construction vessel at Jules Sedney Harbour in Paramaribo.

This mobilisation marks the first phase of activity at Suriname’s inaugural large-scale offshore oil development, which is situated in Block 58, roughly 150km offshore.

The GranMorgu project is managed by TotalEnergies, which holds a 40% share, with APA owning 40% and Staatsolie controlling the remaining 20%.

Production at the site is scheduled to begin in 2028.

In 2024, Saipem was contracted to deliver the engineering, procurement, supply, construction and installation of the subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines system.

The scope also includes pre-commissioning activities and support during commissioning and start-up at water depths ranging from 100m to 1,100m.

The company will use both S-Lay and J-Lay vessels to cover the offshore installation scope.

Saipem has established a dual-marine base logistics approach to support the volume of equipment delivery.

A logistics hub covering around 30,000–40,000m² has been set up at Jules Sedney Harbour to receive, handle and store incoming pipes, equipment and standard containers before they are transported to offshore fields.

Separately, the DORDT marine support base in Paramaribo is being used to handle heavy subsea structures and manifolds, streamlining high-tonnage fabrications for deployment.

In a related development, Brazil’s antitrust authority, CADE, has approved, without restrictions, the proposed merger between Saipem and Subsea7, reported Reuters.

The approval can still be appealed by other parties.

Major oil companies including ExxonMobil, Petrobras and TotalEnergies have opposed the merger in their submissions to CADE. They expressed concerns that the new entity, Saipem7, could potentially increase costs, delay projects or compel certain clients into exclusive long-term agreements.

Additionally, Saipem secured a new contract in Angola from Azule Energy Exploration (Angola) and Azule Energy Angola, subsidiaries of a joint venture owned by Eni and bp.

The contract, valued at $1bn (€880m) and expected to last around 40 months, covers transportation and installation services for the Greater PAJ project.

Greater PAJ is an ultra-deepwater development located approximately 200km off the Angolan coast.

Saipem’s scope includes engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation of around 180km of rigid pipelines and subsea facilities at water depths reaching 2,000m, as well as 38km of flexible flowlines and jumpers and 54km of umbilicals.