Hull Launched for Mozambique FLNG
Italy’s Eni announced on January 14 the launch of the hull of a floating LNG (FLNG) vessel in South Korea, due to start producing LNG off the coast of Mozambique in 2022.
The Coral Sul FLNG is under construction at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje. The overall Coral Sul (Coral South) project is now over 60% complete, Eni said in a statement, describing the FLNG hull’s launch as an “outstanding milestone.”
The hull measures 432 metres long, 66 metres wide and weighs around 140,000 metric tons. According to Eni, its eight-storey accommodation module, which will house up to 350 people, is ready to be lifted and integrated with the hull system.
Fabrication activities are also well under way for 12 gas treatment and LNG modules, with all main equipment ready for integration and first deck stacking executed.
The Coral Sul project aims to exploit 450bn m3 of gas in the Coral reservoir offshore Mozambique. The FLNG, capable of producing 3.4mn mt/yr of LNG, will be the first vessel of its kind to be deployed in waters 2,000 metres deep and the first purpose-built FLNG in Africa, Eni said.
Drilling and completion activities for the six subsea wells that will feed the liquefaction unit are ongoing off Mozambique, according to the company.
“The Coral Sul FLNG hull launching is an outstanding milestone which has been possible thanks to the commitment of Eni, its Area 4 partners, contractors and Mozambican authorities,” Eni’s vice president for West Africa, Adriano Mongini, commented. “We share the belief that Coral South is a pioneering project that will trigger further developments and new investments,” he said.
Coral Sul is the first of several LNG proejcts due to come on stream offshore Mozambique in the coming years. It will be placed at Area 4, operated by a consortium led by Eni, ExxonMobil and China’s CNPC. Eni is overseeing construction and operation of the Coral Sul FLNG on the group’s behalf.