Prelude FLNG Arrives on Site

World’s largest floating structure towed into position off Australia

News ID: 75219

Date: 26 July 2017 - 11:40

According to MANA, Shell’s massive $12bn plus floating LNG (FLNG) production unit Prelude FLNG has arrived at its planned hook-up location off north-west Australia.

Confirming the 600,000-tonne floater’s arrival today Shell said it “expects to see cashflow from the project during 2018.”

The 488-metre long FLNG unit, which left Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on 29 June, is located approximately 475km north-north east of Broome in Western Australia.

Prelude FLNG has been designed to produce 3.6-mtpa of LNG, 1.3- mtpa of condensate and 0.4-mtpa of LPG.

Shell Australia chairman Zoe Yujnovich said the arrival of the Prelude FLNG facility signalled a new era for the Australian LNG export industry, with the first floating liquefaction facility deployed in local waters.

Yujnovich said Shell had awarded a majority of Prelude contracts to Australian contractors, including the contract awarded to Australian engineering company Monadelphous for maintenance and modification services valued at $200 million.

She described Prelude as an “Australian project” and said one hundred and fifty technicians have been trained across a broad range of critical skills, including helicopter landing and refuelling skills, rigging, scaffolding and first aid.

The Prelude project will employ 260 local workers on board the facility during operations and create over a 1500 jobs during the hook-up and commissioning phase of the project, Shell said.