Project · Deepwater FPSO · Brazil

FPSO Gato do Mato (Shell) — Orca development

A Shell pre-salt FPSO in hull integration and topsides fabrication across Japanese and Chinese yards; delivery, installation and start-up targeted for 2029, then a 20-year MODEC O&M contract.

Checked by hand against the sources below (2026-10-20).

  1. Engineering (done)
  2. Fabrication (now)
  3. Transport & installation (next)
  4. Hook-up
  5. Commissioning
  6. Operation

Now Fabrication (reported: FPSO construction (Shell reported more than 50% complete, ahead of plan, on 2026-08-07; forward hull section departed Japan for China by…)

Next Transport & installation · not announced

Roles Project management & controls · Construction & supervision · QA/QC & HSE · Role groups per phase: our planning assumption from the Crew Forecast model.

Later Operation 2029 (first oil target 2029, as reported)

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Their rate stays; our fee goes on top: 20% → 15% → 12%. Open book →

Who works on it as the sources name them

  • ShellOperator / owneroperator; Shell 70% and Ecopetrol 30% before completion of agreed KUFPEC sale. Announced 3 February 2026: Shell to retain 50%, Ecopetrol 30%, KUFPEC 20% upon…
  • MODECEngineering & designFPSO purchase and sales agreement (design of hull and all topsides facilities) plus 20-year operations and maintenance contract (March 2025); multi-yard build…
  • SOFECOther rolespread mooring system
  • Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & EngineeringFabrication / constructionforward hull block construction, Yokosuka (steel cut June 2025; block sailed to China July 2026)
  • COSCO Qidong ShipyardFabrication / constructionaft hull block (steel strike Oct 2025) and hull integration
Kind
Deepwater FPSO
Country
Brazil
Size
120,000 b/d FPSO; first oil 2029
Operator
Shell
Position
24.80°S 43.20°W, approximate

Sources

  1. MODEC Inks Purchase And Sales Agreement and Secures Operations and Maintenance Contract for Shell's Gato do Mato FPSO ProjectMODEC (company newsroom) · published 2025-03-25 · read 2026-10-20
  2. MODEC: Pieces of Shell's Brazil-bound FPSO puzzle continue to slide into placeOffshore Energy · published 2025-10-06 · read 2026-09-22
  3. MODEC Advances Construction of Brazil-Bound Gato do Mato FPSOBrazil Energy Insight · published 2026-07-02 · read 2026-09-22
  4. Shell divests partial interest in Orca project offshore BrazilOffshore Magazine · published 2026-02-04 · read 2026-10-08
  5. Forward Section of MODEC's Next Generation Hull for FPSO Gato do Mato Departs for Integration at China YardMODEC (company newsroom) · published 2026-07-02 · read 2026-10-20
  6. Shell welcomes KUFPEC as partner in Orca Project in BrazilShell Brasil · published 2026-02-03 · read 2026-10-20
  7. Plano de Desenvolvimento de Orca é aprovada pela ANPShell Brasil · published 2026-08-07 · read 2026-10-20
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