Dutch offshore solutions provider SBM Offshore has signed an agreement with Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) to sell a 45% ownership interest in the special purpose companies responsible for the lease and operation of the FSO Chalchi.
Following completion of the transaction, SBM Offshore will retain a controlling 55% stake in the project, maintaining its position as the majority shareholder while bringing one of Japan’s leading maritime groups into the ownership structure.
The deal marks another step in the long-standing collaboration between the two companies and reinforces confidence in one of the most significant offshore developments currently underway in the Gulf of Mexico.
A strategic asset under construction
The FSO Chalchi is currently being built and will operate under a 20-year lease and operations agreement awarded by Woodside Energy.
Designed by SBM Offshore, the floating storage unit is based on a Suezmax-class hull and will feature the company’s proprietary disconnectable turret mooring system, a technology developed to ensure safe and efficient operations in challenging offshore environments.
Once completed, the vessel will be capable of storing approximately 950,000 barrels of crude oil, making it a key component of the future production infrastructure at the Trion field.
Supporting the Trion offshore development
The FSO Chalchi will be deployed at the Trion Field, located around 180 kilometers off Mexico’s coastline and approximately 30 kilometers south of the maritime border between Mexico and the United States.
The Trion development is being advanced through a joint venture between operator Woodside Energy and Mexican state-owned energy company Pemex.
The offshore field is in water depths of about 2,500 meters, underlining the project’s technical complexity and the significance of specialized floating production and storage facilities.
Strengthening a long-term partnership
By bringing NYK into the ownership structure while retaining majority control, SBM Offshore is balancing risk and capital allocation while preserving its leading role in the project’s long-term operation.
The transaction also underlines the growing cooperation between offshore energy infrastructure providers and major maritime operators as the industry continues to invest in large-scale deepwater developments.
With construction progressing and a long-term contract already secured, the FSO Chalchi is expected to become a critical element of the Trion project’s production chain and a significant asset within the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore energy landscape.
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