Eni’s floating LNG (FLNG) production unit off Mozambique has produced and offloaded its first full cargo of LNG into a waiting BP-controlled vessel.
The 3.4-million-tonnes-per-annum Coral-Sul FLNG unit started discharging a cargo into the 173,644-cbm British Contributor (built 2018) on Sunday.
Kpler data shows the BP vessel departed the floater on Monday and is heading towards the Suez Canal. It is expected to discharge at the Grain LNG terminal in the UK.
Another shipment could be due from Coral-Sul in December, project sources said.
In mid-November a sistership — the 173,644-cbm British Sponsor (built 2019) — loaded a first part cargo from the FLNG unit.
The vessel discharged its volumes in Bilbao, Spain, after a voyage of just over 24 days.
BP is the sole offtake from Coral-Sul FLNG, which is monetising gas from the Coral South field in Area 4 off Mozambique.
Towage specialist Smit Lamnalco is supplying the marine services to the Coral-Sul FLNG unit for the next 10 years.
- Length: 439 metres
- Breadth: 65 metres
- Height: 38.5 metres
- Tonnage: 220,000 tonnes
- LNG production capacity: 3.4 mtpa
- Storage: 250,000 cbm
- Crew capacity: 350
The Coral-Sul floater is the world’s sixth FLNG unit to be put into service and the first to be deployed in deep water off the African continent.
It is currently one of five FLNG units in operation globally, with one being redeployed and new units due onstream in 2023.
In the last few days, it emerged that Shell’s 3.6-mtpa FLNG unit Prelude has been restarted off north-west Australia.
The unit, which last discharged a cargo in mid-October, has been offline again after a labour dispute raised concerns over safety and working conditions.
Eikland Energy’s iGIS/LNG detailed that the 170,678-cbm LNG carrier Methane Becki Anne (built 2010) is currently in the holding area to the north of Prelude.
FLNG has been enjoying a revival of interest this year in an environment where high gas prices make project economics to develop small or stranded gas reserves stack up.
The African continent remains a focus for several developers, with both ExxonMobil and ENI engaged in a tussle over a second FLNG unit to be placed offshore of Mozambique.
Freshly FLNG-refocused Golar LNG, which is developing a new LNG carrier-to-FLNG conversion while completing another for BP’s Tortue project in the Mauritania/Senegal region, has also indicated that the continent is a focus.
In the US and Mexico, New Fortress Energy is working on putting its own converted offshore assets into operation as FLNG units under its Fast LNG brand.
Separately, Malaysia’s Petronas is keeping two competing shipyard and engineering pairings waiting as it prepares to decide on who will build its third FLNG unit.
