Eni Launches Umbilical Supply Bid for Zabazaba-Etan Project

Eni has initiated a bid process for subsea equipment on its revived Zabazaba-Etan deepwater development offshore Nigeria, valued at $10.3 billion. The Italian major has issued expressions of interest (EoIs) for the engineering, procurement, and construction of umbilical systems for the project, which is located in Petroleum Mining Leases 102 and 103.

Project Scope and Specifications

The development involves 32 subsea wells tied back to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) designed to handle 150,000 barrels per day of oil and 200 million cubic feet per day of gas, with storage capacity of at least 1.7 million barrels. Across the two fields, Eni expects to recover approximately 471 million barrels of oil and 525 billion cubic feet of associated gas. The fields are about 40 kilometers apart, separated by a seafloor canyon, in water depths up to 2,000 meters.

Umbilical System Requirements

The EoI document specifies that some 40 kilometers of umbilicals—both static and dynamic—will be needed to control production and water injection wells, manifold systems, and gas lift systems. Static umbilicals lie on or are trenched into the seabed, linking fixed subsea equipment like manifolds. Dynamic umbilicals connect subsea equipment to the floating facility through the water column, subjecting them to significant stresses and fatigue from waves, currents, and vessel motions. Eni noted that the Zabazaba work scope is the base case, while Etan is optional.

Submission and Qualification Criteria

Responses to the EoI must be submitted by 20 July. Interested parties must provide evidence that, as a main contractor, they have designed and manufactured dynamic and static steel-tube umbilicals and bundled gas-lift umbilicals for a project in at least 800 meters of water within the last 10 years. Eni also requires evidence of a project finance plan for similar executed work, showing contract duration, and proof of previously receiving short-term financing of up to $250 million. Additionally, potential suppliers must detail key challenges and lessons learned in executing deepwater umbilical scopes and how these challenges were successfully addressed or resolved.