Scarborough FPU's Topsides and Hull Come Together in Major Engineering Feat

Woodside Energy’s Scarborough energy project has achieved a major engineering milestone with the joining together of the topsides and hull for the Floating Production Unit (FPU).

Constructed separately at two different fabrication yards in China, the joining of the two mega-structures is a significant step forward for the Scarborough energy project as it progresses towards first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo, targeted for the second half of 2026.

The floatover required precise planning and extensive collaboration by all stakeholders. Teams from Woodside, McDermott, QMW and COSCO worked closely on the fabrication of the structures and to safely bring them together.

The contract, awarded to McDermott in 2021, followed the successful delivery of front-end engineering design for the Scarborough energy project's FPU and includes engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) services.

McDermott is delivering design, fabrication, integration, transportation and installation of an approximately 30,000-metric-ton topside and 37,000-metric-ton hull structure, making it the largest floating production facility the company has ever designed and built, and one of the largest semi-submersible production platforms built in offshore history.

Topsides fabrication was completed at McDermott's joint venture yard, Qingdao McDermott Wuchuan (QMW), in Qingdao, China, while the hull was constructed by COSCO in its Qidong shipyard, also in China.

The topsides have six deck levels - 169 core equipment units, including three gas turbine-driven export gas compressors and three main generators with waste heat recovery systems; more than 50,000 meters of piping; one million meters of cabling; 568 integrated subsystems and a battery energy storage system, supporting operational emissions reduction.

Earlier this month, both structures were transported offshore, and the topsides installed onto the hull via floatover off the coast of Dalian, China.

Following the successful floatover, the FPU arrived at CIMC's Raffles yard in Yantai, China, for final integration works.

From there, it is expected to sail away to Western Australia, where it will be moored at the Scarborough gas field approximately 375 kilometers offshore from the Burrup Peninsula.

According to Liz Westcott, Woodside’s Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Australia, the project now over 82% complete.

“The floatover of the FPU is an engineering marvel and builds on the safe and successful fabrication of the topsides and hull. Manoeuvring two structures that each weigh more than 30,000 tonnes at sea is an exceptionally complex operation.

“I am proud of the Woodside and McDermott teams for the safe delivery of the FPU to the integration yard and the completion of this chapter of work. The FPU is a critical piece of infrastructure for this world-class project which continues to be delivered to the highest

The Scarborough energy project is set to produce up to 8 million tonnes of LNG per year and contribute up to 225 terajoules a day of domestic gas supply into the Western Australian market. Images and video footage, courtesy of Woodside and McDermott, are available here.