Shipyard cuts steel for Qatar’s first offshore living quarters platform

JANUARY 9, 2019 — Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) has held a steel cutting ceremony at the Erhama bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard for the first offshore living quarters to be fabricated in Qatar. The project scope was awarded to N-KOM by Rosetti Marino, a leading Italian company providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to the energy industry worldwide.

Rossetti Marino was awarded the EPCIC contract for the fabrication of a brand-new offshore living quarters and refurbishment of an existing platform with modern facilities for a local offshore complex in the North Field.

Chief Executive Officer of Nakilat, Eng. Abdullah Al Sulaiti, said: “This ceremony marks a milestone not only for N-KOM but also for Qatar, as this is the first such offshore fabrication to be wholly-constructed locally. With N-KOM’s solid experience in handling offshore fabrication projects, and Rosetti Marino’s expertise in the field of EPC services, we are confident in delivering the project in a safe, timely and efficient manner, towards supporting the growth of Qatar’s oil and gas industry.”

An estimated 4,700 metric tonnes of structures will be fabricated by N-KOM as part of the project, comprising the jacket and pile and a topside for the offshore platform. The new platform is intended to accommodate an additional 90 persons on board and will be linked via six bridges to the existing complex, increasing the total accommodation capacity of the platform to 152 persons.

Expected to be completed by mid-2020, the additional accommodations will enable the offshore platform to meet the demands of increased operational requirements.

CEO of Rosetti Marino Group Oscar Guerra said: “This strategic co-operation between us and N-KOM facilitates the transfer of top-tier international engineering expertise, cutting-edge technologies and operational know-how in providing the highest quality standards and services towards the successful delivery of this project.”

N-KOM is well equipped to undertake a variety of offshore fabrication projects, with an extensive fabrication area of 190,000 square meters and more than 300 qualified and skilled in-house professionals. To date, N-KOM has completed more than 850 marine and offshore projects at its facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Aside from its ship repair and conversion business, N-KOM has built up a proven track record for offshore fabrication projects, with clients such as Qatar Petroleum, QatarGas, Woqod, OXY, Technip, Gulf Drilling International, Qatar Primary Materials Company and Maersk Oil (Qatar) among others.