KEPPEL SUBIC SHIPYARD BUILDS 1st PH-MADE GAS PLATFORM
Keppel Subic Shipyard marked the start of construction works on a Depletion Compression Platform (DCP) for its customer Shell Philippines Exploration BV (SPEX) with a Strike Steel Ceremony on Friday, December 7. When completed, the DCP will be deployed in the Malampaya gas field, near Palawan Island, in the Philippines.
Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Josefina Patricia Magpale-Asirit, initiated the cutting of the first steel plate to be used in the construction of the DCP at the event held at Keppel Subic Shipyard. Officiating this ceremony together with the Energy Undersecretary was the Ambassador of Singapore to the Philippines, H.E. V.P. Hirubalan.
President Benigno Aquino III lauded the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project as a tangible sign of what Public-Private Partnerships can lead to. In a message read by Energy Undersecretary Josefina Patricia Asirit during the strike steel ceremony at the Keppel Subic Shipyard, Aquino said, “At present, we import an estimated 336,300 barrels of crude oil per calendar day for our energy consumption. But with the full operation of Malampaya, our reliance on oil imports will decrease. Our nation’s energy security is consequently ensured.”
Further development of the natural gas industry will also help create more jobs and attract the entry of local and foreign investments in the country with Phase III alone expected to generate around 1,200 careers. The development of the DCP forms Phase 3 of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project is led by the Philippine Department of Energy and supported by the consortium comprising the Malampaya project operator, SPEX, and its joint venture partners, Chevron Malampaya LLC and the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation PNOC-EC).
Tong Chong Heong, Chief Executive Officer of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), the parent company of Keppel Subic Shipyard, said, “Keppel is very happy to be entrusted with building the first such platform to be fully constructed in the Philippines”. “Keppel has been present in the Philippines since 1975. We acquired Keppel Subic Shipyard in 1994; today, it is one of our two yards in the country. Over the years, Keppel Subic Shipyard has grown its ship repair and fabrication competencies. As a key yard in Keppel O&M’s global network, we continue to enhance its facilities and the capabilities of its workforce to take on more offshore projects. We are committed to extend and improve our services for our customers,” he added, “With the strong support from the national and local government, and good teamwork between us and SPEX as well as their joint venture partners, we are confident that this project will progress safely and promptly.” Leong Kok Weng, President of Keppel Subic Shipyard, said, “We are working as one team with SPEX towards our common goal of successfully completing the DCP. To ensure safe and efficient operations, we have been expanding our facilities and increasing the capabilities of our workforce. We are pleased to enter the construction phase of the DCP project, and will continue to work hard towards delivery.”
At the Malampaya gas field, the DCP will be deployed next to an existing shallow water production platform. The platform is designed to maintain the current availability and deliverability of natural gas from the Malampaya field through regulating the gas export pressure and flow rates.
The DCP comprises gas compression facilities mounted on a barge deck, supported by four tubular legs on base footings. Keppel Subic Shipyard is responsible for the fabrication of the entire DCP, including the integration of the topside modules and the fabrication of the link bridge connecting the DCP to the shallow water platform.