SLB OneSubsea Lands Massive Umbilical Deal for Indonesia Deepwater Hub
SLB’s OneSubsea joint venture has won a contract from Eni North Ganal Limited to supply a steel tube umbilical system for the Kutei North Hub deepwater development offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia, World Oil reports. The scope covers engineering, procurement, and manufacture of 94.6 km (58.8 mi) of steel tube umbilical rated for water depths up to 2,200 m (7,218 ft), with a total system weight of roughly 6,700 tonnes. SLB says the award ranks among the largest umbilical contracts in offshore industry history. Eni North Ganal is a subsidiary of Searah Limited, a joint venture between Eni and PETRONAS.
The system is rated for 10,000-psi operating pressure and includes a single continuous 30-km (18.6-mi) umbilical section weighing about 2,100 tonnes, requiring specialized large-capacity carousel infrastructure for production and storage. SLB OneSubsea will build the system using its Oscilay and planetary production lines in parallel, a method the company says shortens delivery timelines compared to conventional single-line manufacturing. CEO Mads Hjelmeland said the award reflects operators’ demand for partners who can execute demanding deepwater projects with reliability and speed.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- North American umbilical fabricators and installers should note the scale benchmark: a 94.6-km, 6,700-tonne system with a 30-km continuous run signals the carousel capacity and large-diameter reel-lay capability operators now expect for major deepwater awards, a spec worth matching against Gulf of Mexico bid capabilities.
- The 10,000-psi rating and 2,200-m water depth requirement point to the technical bar for steel tube umbilical subcontracts on ultra-deepwater work, relevant for firms bidding similar specs in Gulf of Mexico or offshore Brazil-adjacent supply chains.
- SLB OneSubsea’s use of parallel Oscilay and planetary production lines to compress delivery schedules is a manufacturing approach fabrication yards and EPC subcontractors should benchmark when quoting lead times against competitors on future deepwater umbilical packages.
