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Milan (Italy), August 26, 2025
Saipem has completed the conversion of the Scarabeo 5 semi-submersible drilling unit into a floating plant for the separation and boosting of hydrocarbons (Floating Production Unit - FPU).
The conversion of the Scarabeo 5 into an FPU is a key milestone of the contract awarded to Saipem by Eni Congo in August 2023 as part of Eni's Congo LNG Project, the country's first natural gas liquefaction project. Saipem's activities entailed the engineering, procurement, construction, transportation and commissioning of the FPU to be installed offshore the coast of the Republic of Congo, northwest of the Djeno Terminal, at a depth of approximately 35 metres.
The Scarabeo 5, built in Italy in the early 1990s, is one of the best units of its generation, hence it was chosen as an asset for conversion into a floating gas treatment facility. Once installed, it will serve as a control hub for the entire offshore development field of Eni's Congo LNG Project.
The conversion of Scarabeo 5 was completed in less than 24 months, further demonstrating Saipem's fast-track execution capability, the company's distinctive approach that significantly reduces project time-to-market. It also represents an important example of Italian excellence: by completely transforming the operational functions of an existing asset, Saipem confirms its ability to create shared value through advanced technologies.
Saipem is a global leader in the engineering and construction of major projects for the energy and infrastructure sectors, both offshore and onshore. Saipem is "One Company" organized into business lines: Asset Based Services, Drilling, Energy Carriers, Offshore Wind, Sustainable Infrastructures. The company has 5 fabrication yards and an offshore fleet of 17 construction vessels owned and 13 drilling rigs, of which 9 owned. Always oriented towards technological innovation, the company's purpose is "Engineering for a sustainable future". As such Saipem is committed to supporting its clients on the energy transition pathway towards Net Zero, with increasingly digital means, technologies and processes geared for environmental sustainability. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, it is present in more than 50 countries around the world and employs about 30,000 people of over 130 nationalities.
semi-submersible drilling unit "Scarabeo 5". Image by Saipem S.p.A.
Saipem S.p.A. press release
