Seatrium Ltd., Singapore, has secured a contract from BP plc, London, for engineering, procurement, construction, and onshore commissioning of the Tiber floating production unit (FPU), as part of the supermajor's $5 billion deepwater project in the U.S. Gulf.
BP announced its final investment decision for the Tiber-Guadalupe project in September. The fully BP-owned and -operated project will be the company’s seventh operated production hub in the Gulf of Mexico, referred to by the U.S. government as the Gulf of America. First production is targeted for 2030.
The development includes a new floating production platform designed to produce up to 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The development comprises six wells in the Tiber field and a two-well tieback from the Guadalupe field in the Keathley Canyon region, about 300 miles southwest of New Orleans, in water depths of roughly 4,100'.
The project will be BP’s second in the Gulf of America to utilize 20,000-psi (20K) pressure management technology. The company has worked with the offshore industry to develop and validate 20K equipment — such as high-pressure drilling rigs and subsea components — since discovering the Tiber field in 2009.
The FPU award from BP Exploration and Production Inc. marks Seatrium’s second consecutive deepwater FPU project for the energy giant, following the Kaskida floater contract announced in December 2024.
William Gu, executive vice president of Seatrium Energy (International), said, “The Tiber FPU award marks a significant milestone in our relationship with BP and underscores the strength of our series-build approach for the Gulf of America production units. It also highlights Seatrium’s expanding foothold in the FPU segment, delivering exceptional quality and efficiency with uncompromising safety through maximum on-ground completion and single-lift capability. Drawing on lessons learned from our growing portfolio of FPU projects, we will continue to translate experience into execution excellence. Our commitment remains steadfast in supporting BP’s offshore developments.”
More than 85% of the Tiber design will replicate the Kaskida FPU, allowing BP and Seatrium to reuse established engineering work, standardize procurement, and coordinate planning across both projects. The replication approach is intended to streamline execution and maintain continuity with engineering partners and equipment suppliers.
The topside will be installed onto the hull using Seatrium’s single-lift integration method, enabled by Goliath twin cranes capable of lifting 30,000 tonnes. The method allows topside modules to be fully completed and tested at ground level before installation.
The project adds to Seatrium’s portfolio of deepwater production units in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, renamed by the U.S. government as the Gulf of America. Other projects include Shell’s Sparta FPU and BP’s Kaskida FPU, as well as Shell’s Vito and Whale FPUs delivered in 2021 and 2023.
BP is also advancing several other Gulf projects, including the recently launched Argos Southwest Extension and planned expansions at the Atlantis platform. These projects are expected to account for nearly one-third of BP’s 10 global major project startups scheduled through 2027.
