Guyanese Workers Break New Ground with First Locally Built FPSO Piping System

A team of Guyanese technicians and welders has achieved a major local content milestone after successfully completing the fabrication of specialised piping destined for offshore installation on the Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

The project, completed by Friedlander Guyana in collaboration with SBM Offshore and ExxonMobil Guyana, is being hailed as a breakthrough for the country’s growing industrial capabilities, demonstrating that complex fabrication work traditionally carried out abroad can now be executed locally.

The piping system forms part of the Water Injection Riser Depressurization project and will support operations aboard the Liza Unity FPSO, one of the production vessels operating in the Stabroek Block.

At a ceremony marking the completion of the project, company and government officials pointed to the achievement as evidence that Guyana’s oil and gas industry is creating opportunities not only for employment but also for the development of technical expertise and manufacturing capacity.

According to Friedlander Guyana Director and Co-Owner Dr. Carla Crawford, the project was completed without a single weld defect, repair requirement or safety incident—a performance she said reflects the skill and professionalism of the local workforce.

“This is more than a performance, it is a statement, a statement about quality, a statement about capability, and above all, a statement about people,” Crawford told attendees.

She explained that Guyanese workers were responsible for every stage of the fabrication process, from cutting and fitting to welding, testing and final coating. The project also required personnel to meet stringent international standards, with several welders earning globally recognised certifications.

For SBM Offshore Guyana General Manager Martin Cheong, the accomplishment represents a significant step in proving that Guyanese companies can meet the demanding quality requirements associated with offshore petroleum operations.

“The fact that this work was completed in Guyana with zero weld defects and zero repairs required is an exceptional accomplishment,” Cheong said.

ExxonMobil Guyana Production Manager Huzefa Ali said the project was particularly significant because it marked the first time process piping for an FPSO had been fabricated in Guyana by Guyanese workers for use in the country’s petroleum industry.

The piping, he explained, underwent extensive testing and protective treatment before being cleared for offshore deployment.

“This achievement represents not only technical expertise, but the emergence of strong industrial capability,” Ali said.

The project comes as Guyana’s oil sector continues to expand rapidly. Since first oil was produced in December 2019, the country has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing petroleum producers, with output now exceeding 900,000 barrels per day from four FPSOs operating in the Stabroek Block.

Government officials have repeatedly pointed to local content as a key objective of the sector’s development, arguing that the industry must create long-term opportunities beyond oil extraction itself.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat said the completed project reflects the type of industrial development envisioned under Guyana’s local content framework.

He noted that only a few years ago such fabrication work would likely have been awarded to foreign contractors, but growing local expertise is allowing more of that value to remain in Guyana.

“This is for developing industries, this is for developing our manufacturing capabilities, this is to ensure our people, Guyanese, young Guyanese, are trained, certified, and qualified to work in the oil and gas sector,” Bharrat said.

Industry observers say the successful completion of the project could help position Guyanese companies to secure additional fabrication opportunities as more offshore developments come on stream in the years ahead.

For the local workforce involved, however, the project already represents something significant: proof that Guyanese talent can deliver highly specialised industrial work to international standards in one of the world’s fastest-growing oil-producing nations.