Another news service today reported that South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries won the $100 million FPSO hull contract, coming hot on the tail of last night's reports that the Fluor/AMEC joint venture had edged out KBR/Worley and Technip/Modec for the key EPC contract.

Woodside has previously said the FPSO will be a Suezmax-type trading tanker modified for FPSO operations with a capacity of about 900,000 barrels of oil and a production rate at peak of about 100,000 barrels a day.

The vessel will also be self-propelled and be able to disconnect from the turret mooring and sail away in cyclones, Woodside said.

Located in permit WA-271P, about 130km west of Onslow, Enfield is estimated to have reserves in excess of 100 million barrels. According to Woodside, the hull contract is the first major element in development of the field with a final investment decision on the project to be made in the second quarter of 2004. First oil from the field is scheduled for 2006.

It is believed that Samsung had just one opponent for the hull job, Spain's Izar, while HHI and Daewoo are understood to have knocked back the tender due to a backlog of existing work.