McDermott's Amazon vessel, following a sophisticated upgrade to its ultra-deepwater capabilities, is coming to the Gulf of Mexico to support a subsea contract for the Whale Development in Alaminos Canyon. Under the contract's scope, McDermott will provide engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) for 30 miles (50 kilometers) of pipeline and approximately nine miles (15 kilometers) of umbilical to connect five drill centers to a new offshore platform. The project will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in 2024. The Amazon's upgraded specs enable highly automated operations, the production of hex joints from single or double joints using an onboard multi-joint facility and a pipe hold capacity of 10,000 metric tons. Its increased level of automation also enables a significant reduction in the crew numbers required to safely perform pipelay operations—boosting its operational resilience against the ongoing COVID-19 landscape. Engineering, procurement and project management services will be led by McDermott's team in Houston. McDermott's North Ocean 102 will continue its successful track record in the Gulf of Mexico with the installation of the umbilical and the Amazon will transport and install the rigid ultra-deepwater pipelines.