Italian Player Makes a Splash With Pars Win
Monday 10 October 2016
An Italian fabricator has been awarded a landmark contract to fast-track the construction of a 2000-tonne jacket for Phase 13 of the South Pars gas project off Iran.
The job for Rosetti Marino represents the first such construction contract since before the tightening of international energy sanctions about a decade ago.
An informed source said the scope of work, for field operator Pars Oil & Gas Company (POGC), covers engineering, procurement, construction and installation.
Rosetti has already kicked-off conceptual engineering work with construction expected to start early next year for installation at South Pars in August 2017.
It is understoof that Rosetti is eyeing the use of a yard in the Middle East, “probably in the United Arab Emirates area” to fabricate the jacket. The Ravenna-based company is thought to have issued bid documents covering transport and installation activities.
It is understood that the new jacket — without a deck — will replace an existing jacket (also without a deck) that is said to have been damaged last year when an oil tanker collided with the structure.
POGC is believed to be funding the costs of the new jacket via an insurance claim related to the tanker collision.
Rosetti Marino is the first foreign company known to have received a turnkey contract from Iran since the relaxation of energy sanctions in January.
The company was awarded the South Pars jacket order by Petro Peydar, one of several local companies with which it has established a relationship since the relaxation of energy sanctions.
Rosetti has memoranda of understandings with semi-private energy giant Mapna, state-owned PetroIran (Pedco), part-state controlled Oil Industries Engineering & Construction (OIEC) Iranian Offshore Engineering & Construction (IOEC) as well as privately-owned turnkey contractor Jondishapour. Phase 13 of South Pars was once part of a development package, with Phase 14, that Shell was hoping to develop as a liquefied natural gas project.
This LNG scheme was eventually cancelled and the two phases have since been separate developments.
International exploration and development players are next in line for much bigger contracts as Iran finalised new rules for foreign investors.