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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.

Deepwater FPSO · Brazil (Americas) · every fact below is as reported by the linked sources, checked by hand on 2026-10-08.

Size
120,000 b/d FPSO; first oil 2029
Operator / developer
Shell Brasil
Phase, as reported
hull construction/integration (forward hull left Japan for China July 2026), topsides fabrication
Checked on
2026-10-08

Phase track steps named in the reported phase are marked

  1. FID
  2. Engineering
  3. Fabrication
  4. Construction
  5. Installation
  6. Commissioning

Who builds it as stated by the sources

  • Shell Brasil — operator (50%) and FPSO owner; partners Ecopetrol (30%) and KUFPEC (20%, acquired from Shell in Feb 2026, completion expected by end-2026 subject to approvals); PPSA manages the production sharing contract
  • MODEC — FPSO purchase and sales agreement (design of hull and all topsides facilities) plus 20-year operations and maintenance contract (March 2025); multi-yard build with Sumitomo Heavy Industries (Yokosuka, forward hull) and COSCO Qidong (aft hull, integration)
  • SOFEC (MODEC group) — spread mooring system
  • Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering — forward hull block construction, Yokosuka (steel cut June 2025; block sailed to China July 2026)
  • COSCO Qidong Shipyard — aft hull block (steel strike Oct 2025) and hull integration

Key dates as stated by the sources

FID
March 2025
Modec contracts
2025-03-25
Forward hull steel cut
June 2025
Aft hull steel strike
October 2025
Forward hull sailaway to china
July 2026
First oil target
2029

Disciplines likely needed our inference

  • FPSO hull and topsides engineers
  • yard construction supervision and QA/QC
  • mooring and marine engineers
  • commissioning and start-up engineers
  • FPSO operations and maintenance staff

Our inference from project kind and phase — not stated by the sources below.

Sources checked on 2026-10-08

  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 · retrieved 2026-09-22
  2. MODEC: Pieces of Shell's Brazil-bound FPSO puzzle continue to slide into placeOffshore Energy · published 2025-10-06 · retrieved 2026-09-22
  3. MODEC Advances Construction of Brazil-Bound Gato do Mato FPSOBrazil Energy Insight · published 2026-07-02 · retrieved 2026-09-22
  4. Shell divests partial interest in Orca project offshore BrazilOffshore Magazine · published 2026-02-04 · retrieved 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 · retrieved 2026-10-08

Position on our globe: 24.80°S 43.20°W. Location approximate: Santos Basin pre-salt, ~200 km south of Rio de Janeiro, water depth ~2,000 m.

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