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Chinese offshore fabricator Bomesc Offshore Engineering has secured a new contract from SBM Offshore to fabricate topsides modules for a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel destined for South America.
The work is expected to be carried out at Bomesc’s fabrication facility in Tianjin, China, with completion scheduled for the second half of 2028. The contract includes fixed and variable components, with the final value dependent on the confirmed scope of work.
The award adds to Bomesc’s ongoing FPSO fabrication activities. The company is also working on nine topsides modules for SBM Offshore’s GranMorgu FPSO, which is intended for deployment offshore Suriname.
The latest contract highlights the role of Chinese fabrication yards in the international offshore oil and gas supply chain, where engineering contractors increasingly coordinate fabrication activities across multiple locations.
An FPSO is a floating facility used to process and store hydrocarbons produced from offshore fields. Its topsides accommodate process systems and supporting equipment designed for the specific operating conditions of the project.
Depending on the facility configuration, topsides may incorporate separators, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, columns, piping systems and other process equipment.
Fabricating these systems requires coordination among engineering teams, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and inspection organizations. Material selection and component manufacturing are important parts of this process because equipment must comply with its design conditions and project specifications.
For offshore equipment suppliers, several factors deserve attention:
Material compliance: Grades, dimensions and applicable standards must match the approved drawings and purchase specifications.
Corrosion resistance: Material selection depends on the process medium, operating temperature, pressure and exposure to corrosive substances.
Fabrication and machining: Plate supply, forming, welding and machining must be coordinated with component design and assembly requirements.
Quality documentation: Traceability, inspection records and required testing must be established before production.
Delivery coordination: Material and component delivery schedules need to align with fabrication and integration milestones.
These requirements vary by equipment package and project; not every topsides component requires the same materials or manufacturing route.
For selected pressure vessels and heat exchangers, clad plates can provide a combination of structural base metal and a metallurgically bonded corrosion-resistant alloy layer.
Depending on the design requirements, possible material combinations include carbon steel or alloy steel with stainless steel, duplex stainless steel or nickel-alloy cladding. This approach may offer a cost-effective alternative to solid high-alloy materials where the specified service conditions and design permit its use.
Clad plate is not a universal solution for offshore equipment. Its suitability depends on the process conditions, design code, material specification, fabrication requirements, bonding quality and customer approval.
When sourcing clad plates for equipment manufacturing, buyers should evaluate more than the quoted price. Manufacturing capability, inspection scope, material traceability and coordination with downstream machining can also affect the procurement process.
FUGO TECH manufactures clad plates and special-alloy plates and provides machining for industrial equipment components, including tube sheets, baffle plates and dish heads.
These products can be relevant to pressure vessel and heat exchanger manufacturers when clad or special-alloy materials are specified for their equipment.
By manufacturing clad plates in-house before machining, FUGO TECH can coordinate material production and component processing within its own manufacturing scope. This can help customers discuss plate specifications, machining requirements and delivery planning with one manufacturing supplier.
For offshore and other demanding industrial applications, the appropriate material combination and inspection requirements should always be confirmed against the approved drawings and project specifications.
To learn more about FUGO TECH’s clad plate manufacturing and machining capabilities, visit www.fugo-tech.com.
Fugo Tech is focused on the manufacturing of clad metal plate and distributes the Stainless Steel, Titanium, Nickel Alloy, Zirconium and other non-ferrous metal pipes, fittings, and flanges.
