Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2015)

OFFSHORE ENERGY

FLNG

Birth of a Market

By William Stoichevski

Floating oil production might be de- tested technology from Germany and the

LNG deal-making has been sporadic since Woodside Petro- cades old, but ? oating lique? ed natural United States. FLNG is developing in leum at the end of 2013 delayed a ? nal investment decision gas is so new that technology patents are such lurches and spurts that consortia of

F for the giant Browse FLNG project off Northwest Australia. still vulnerable. Classi? cation societies former rival contractors are collaborat- can’t say for certain that they’ve given ing on front-end engineering and design

The previous year had seen go-aheads for most of the ? oating their full blessing to projects from top (FEED) and engineering procurement lique? ed natural gas projects (FLNG) underway today, including to bottom. Few projects are sanctioned and construction (EPC) bids together

Shell’s Prelude FLNG — Woodside’s choice, it seems, of a lique- — in Australia, Cameroon, Canada, In- to make sure they’re in on what comes donesia, Malaysia, Mozambique and next. The focus is on Asia, where gas and faction solution for ? elds 200 kilometers offshore. Yet Prelude, the United States. Sixteen others offer a people abound, but where a maritime “the ? rst project out”, might not be ? rst to produce. The speed to chance for contractors to plan their con- continent lacks Europe’s interlocking tracts now. pipelines. In Asia, shipyards anticipate market and scalability of “rival” FLNG ideas offers options for

Competing for the mid-term oppor- FLNG orders with investments in the the revenue-hungry and a new market for marine and offshore tunities to unlock stranded gas offered largest dry docks, cranes and quays ever early movers. Browse FLNG, too, is “on-track” for front-end en- by new liquefaction solutions from seen. The mantra “A FEED and an Asian

Britain, Japan and Norway is tried and yard” suits FLNG well. Though still gineering later in 2015.

36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2015

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