Hallin Marine has teamed with GeoLab to win the vessel and ROV contract for the Pearl GTL project under development by Shell and Qatar Petroleum.

Geolab has received a letter of intent from main contractor J. Ray McDermott Eastern Hemisphere Limited 'JRMEHL' in connection with the contract.

GeoLab, the leading Italian based marine & survey contractor, partnered with Hallin Marine West Division to bid for the Pearl GTL Project in Qatar. The bid was submitted through GeoLab's Middle-East Branch in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

Under the terms of the contract GeoLab will provide a vessel and Hallin ROV support services for the Pearl GTL contract.

GeoLab's ROV support vessel, the DP Geo, is currently en-route to the Gulf where she is planned to commence operations upon arrival.

Hallin is supplying two ROVs and a crew of some six operators and technicians. They will operate the work class and the inspection class vehicles for the contract, which is expected to run for most of the year.

The world-scale Pearl GTL (gas to liquid) project comprises the development of upstream gas production facilities as well as an onshore GTL plant that is designed to produce 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) of GTL products as well as approximately 120,000 bpd of associated condensate and liquefied petroleum gas.

The project will be developed in two phases with the first phase operational around the end of the decade. The second phase will be completed around one year later. The project includes the development of a block within Qatar's vast North Field gas reserves, which will produce 1.6 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.

Hallin West managing director, Mike Arnold, said, "We are delighted to be working with GeoLab again and this is another 'pearl' from our successful association. This is a very important and major contract for all the parties involved and we are pleased to be connected with it."

Tags: Hallin Marine, Qatar Petroleum International, Shell