Mammoet Completes Maromba Leg Extension Lifts in the UAE

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Mammoet has completed a series of heavy lifting operations for the BW Maromba B wellhead platform conversion project, advancing preparation for the platform's future deployment to the Maromba offshore oilfield in Brazil. The operations took place at Drydocks World shipyard in Dubai, where Mammoet was contracted by Drydocks World to provide engineering design, lifting equipment, and specialist personnel, and to complete the lifting and installation of nine jack-up platform leg extension sections.

BW Maromba B is converted from the former VALARIS 247 jack-up drilling rig and is planned to be transformed into a platform integrating both wellhead and drilling functions. The lifting operations involved the platform's three legs, with three triangular extension sections installed on each leg, each weighing approximately 105 tonnes and measuring 10.2 meters high and 16.2 meters wide. Upon completion of installation, the height of the three legs increased from 175 meters to 205 meters to meet the platform's future operational requirements in the Maromba oilfield. The related lifting work was completed ahead of schedule.

The project marked the first use in the UAE of a CC 8800-1 crawler crane configured with the Boom Booster system. The equipment utilized a 120-meter main boom and a 96-meter luffing jib to meet the lift height and working radius requirements for the leg extension structures within the shipyard's spatial constraints. Mammoet also completed the lift engineering studies, ground bearing pressure calculations, and lifting procedure design.

BW Energy confirmed that the BW Maromba B conversion work is currently underway at the Dubai shipyard, with pre-inspection completed and platform conversion construction already initiated. Upon completion, the platform will be deployed to the Maromba oilfield in the southern Campos Basin, Brazil, where it will serve initial production well drilling and wellhead platform functions. BW Energy had previously made a final investment decision for the Maromba oilfield development in May 2025.

The Maromba Phase 1 plan involves drilling six production wells from BW Maromba B, with the platform configured for up to 16 well slots, connected to the BW Maromba floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel via production and test flowlines. The BW Maromba FPSO is designed with a crude storage capacity of approximately 1 million barrels and a liquid processing capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, including crude oil production capacity of 65,000 barrels per day and water treatment capacity of 85,000 barrels per day.

BW Energy currently plans to complete the BW Maromba B conversion, FPSO refurbishment, and subsequent offshore installation in 2027, with first oil from the Maromba oilfield targeted before the end of 2027. The initial project development corresponds to approximately 123 million barrels of 2P reserves, with a target peak production rate of approximately 60,000 barrels per day.