A first LNG carrier has signalled the Coral-Sul FLNG production unit as its destination as Italy’s ENI prepares to start exports from its giant floater off Mozambique in East Africa.
Sources close to project said the 173,644-cbm BP-controlled LNG carrier British Mentor (built 2019) has been earmarked to lift a first cargo from the 3.4 million-tonne-per annum capacity unit.
The shipment is understood to have been brought forward to a target date of 10 September. This had previously been set as 21 September.
Kpler data shows the LNG carrier with an estimated time of arrival at the unit of 18 August.
BP is the sole LNG offtaker from Coral-Sul FLNG.
In July TradeWinds reported that the new FLNG unit had gas in its system and its liquefaction kit was operational.
Coral-Sul FLNG is the largest floating LNG producer to go into operation after Shell’s Prelude unit off Australia.
- 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 Eni floater arrived off the coast of Mozambique in January after leaving shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries Geoje Island shipyard under tow in late November.
The unit, which will produce LNG and other liquids, is sited in deep waters around 48 km off the coast to monetise offshore gas in the Coral Sul Rovuma Basin.
Six wells will flow gas into the liquefaction unit.
Eni is working in partnership with PetroChina, Galp Energia, Kogas and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos on the project which was originally sanctioned in 2017.
FLNG has had a mixed history to date but is undergoing a revival of interest due to the high cost of gas.
Coral-Sul FLNG is set to become the sixth LNG floater to go into operation.
But currently, there are just three units producing liquids worldwide. Golar LNG’s 2.2-mtpa capacity unit Hilli — an LNG carrier to FLNG unit conversion — off Cameroon has to date produced the most cargoes.
Petronas has two LNG floaters working off East Malaysia.
Shell’s Prelude is currently offline in northwest Australia due to industrial action and Exmar’s barge-based liquefaction unit Tango FLNG has recently been sold to Eni but has yet to be redeployed to the DR Congo in Central Africa.
Eni is understood to be working in partnership with ExxonMobil on a second Mozambique floater while the US energy major is also separately progressing its own FLNG project for the region.
