A BP-controlled LNG carrier has arrived at Eni’s Coral-Sul FLNG off Mozambique, amid talk that a first export cargo from the floater could be shipped shortly.
Kpler shows that the 173,644-cbm British Sponsor (built 2019) arrived off the 3.4-million-tonne-per-annum floating gas liquefaction and exporting unit on Sunday.
The LNG carrier, which has yet to take on any LNG volumes, is expected to conduct some trials and dry runs alongside the floating LNG unit before finally loading, sources said.
A first cargo is expected to be shipped before the end of this month.
BP is the sole offtaker from Coral-Sul FLNG, which is monetising gas in the Coral South field in Area 4 off Mozambique.
The Eni floater arrived on site under tow from Samsung Heavy Industries in January 2022.
There have been several false starts over the past few months on exports, with LNG carriers flagged up to lift shipments but then moving off.
In August, the BP-controlled, 173,644-cbm LNG carrier British Mentor (built 2019), appeared to be lining up to lift a first cargo from Coral-Sul FLNG but, after waiting off the unit for some time, left the area.
TradeWinds reported in September that a new target date of 14 October had been set for a possible first cargo loading.
The floater has been cooled down from its own internal production without the need for commissioning cargoes and LNG is already in its cargo tanks.
All eyes on Eni
All eyes now remain on Eni, which has until the end of October to decide on whether it will order a second FLNG at SHI. It it wants to use the second unit to develop the reserves in the Mamba south offshore gasfield off Mozambique.
The shipbuilder is understood to be holding the berth until then but has competitors, including ExxonMobil, queueing up for the same yard slot.
Eni is working in partnership with ExxonMobil on its second Mozambique floater, while the US energy major is also separately progressing its own FLNG project for the region.
Interest in FLNG projects has soared in the new high-priced gas environment, with developers jostling for berth space at shipyards.
