MODEC, Sumitomo Partner Up for Delivery of Gato do Mato FPSO

Signing of the contract between MODEC and Sumitomo (Credit: Soichi Ide)

MODEC has executed a contract with Sumitomo Heavy Industries for the delivery of Gato do Mato floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for Shell, which will be deployed offshore Brazil.

MODEC and Sumitomo Heavy Industries signed a contract for the forward block of MODEC’s new generation hull for the Gato do Mato FPSO, according to the social media post by Soichi Ide, Group Head of Project Execution and Chief Digital Officer at MODEC.

“This collaboration enables a unique construction methodology that addresses the constraints in the availability of new building dock slots,” Ide said.

Shell hired MODEC for the operations and maintenance of the FPSO, which will be deployed at Gato do Mato deepwater field off Brazil, for a period of 20 years.

MODEC is in charge of the design of the hull and all related topsides facilities for the FPSO, which will be moored by a SOFEC Spread Mooring system.

The agreement followed the execution of the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract, which was awarded to MODEC in March 2024, and final investment decision (FID) for the project made by Shell Brasil Petróleo, a subsidiary of Shell, in March 2025.

• MODEC Gets Shell’s Gato do Mato FPSO Ops and Maintenance Job
• Shell Makes FID for Deepwater Gato do Mato Project off Brazil

When installed, FPSO Gato do Mato will be capable of producing 120,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), as well as associated gas and water, and will be moored at a water depth of approximately 2,000 m, around 200 km South of Rio de Janeiro.

Located in the Santos Basin, the Gato do Mato project is a pre-salt gas-condensate discovery that covers two contiguous blocks - BM-S-54, a concession contract entered into in 2005, and Sul de Gato do Mato, a production sharing agreement obtained in 2017.

Initial operations will involve the reinjection of natural gas for reservoir pressure support, with future optionality to export gas to onshore facilities.

The Gato do Mato Consortium includes Shell (operator with a 50% stake), Ecopetrol (30%), TotalEnergies (20%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo (PPSA) acting as the manager of the production sharing contract (PSC).

The consortium expects that the Gato do Mato field will start operations in 2029.