While global oil and gas demand is expected to grow for the next two decades, according to IEA and energy players, deep-sea development for oil and gas fields would expand as well.

According to Clarkson, around 99 offshore projects for more than 200-meter depths of water are currently being developed and the number of potential projects reach around 925. Therefore, demand for offshore production facilities would keep staying high.

Recently, projects for FLNG and FPSO are particularly active, with EPC contracts of several projects, such as Nigeria Egina FPSO, Israel Tamar FLNG, Malaysia Rotan FLNG, etc., are scheduled to be finalized as early as the first half of this year.

Global offshore production facility tonnage (fixed platform excluded) recorded 313 vessels/units as of November 2012, of them Singaporean companies completed 82 vessels, Korean companies delivered 47 vessels, Chinese 23 vessels, US 21 vessels, Japanese 19 vessels, etc.

Global orderbook now stands at 51 vessels - Korea 17 vessels, Brazil 11 vessels, Singapore seven vessels, China seven vessels, etc.

Offshore production facility delivery set the highest record in 2008 with 25 vessels, then it declined steadily, with deliveries of 14 vessels in 2009, 20 vessels in 2010, 11 vessels in 2011 and six vessels in 2012.

In case of FPSO, a total of 21 vessels were delivered in 2008, 10 vessels in 2009, 14 vessels in 2010, eight vessels in 2011 and three vessels in 2012.

Three semi-submersible production facilities were delivered in 2008, zero unit in 2009, one unit in 2010, two units in 2011 and zero unit in 2012, while two jack-up production facilities were hit the water in 2009, three units in 2010, one unit in 2011 and two units in 2012.

In case of tension leg platform and spar production facilities, 2009 saw a pair of units delivered, two units delivered in 2010, zero unit in 2011 and one unit in 2012.

In 2012, Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering contracted orders for one INPEX FPSO, one Petronas FLNG, one fixed production platform from Statoil, five African fixed platforms, DONG E&P's offshore plant, etc.

Samsung Heavy Industries inked one INPEX CPF, one Total production platform, etc., while Hyundai Heavy Industries booked one gas pressurizing platform from South-East Asia, one Spar platform, etc.

Keppel won orders for Golar LNG's one FLNG conversion project, a pair of Petrobras FPSOs, Topside for MODEC-Toyo's one FPSO, etc. Jurong do Brasil contracted eight FPSO modules from Tupi B.V., Tome Engenharia & Ferrostall was awarded an order for Petrobras' six FPSO topsides and OSX penned two FPSO conversion deals from Petrobras.

In 2012, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding of China signed contracts for SSP Offshore's one FPSO and COSCO booked one cylindrical FPSO from Dana Petroleum.



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