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Shell Gas & Power Developments BV has announced that it has signed a master agreement a consortium comprising French oil and gas contractor Technip and South Korean Engineering giant Samsung for the design, construction and installation of multiple floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facilities over a period of up to fifteen years.
Shell and Technip-Samsung also signed a contract for execution of the front end engineering and design (FEED) for Shell’s 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) FLNG solution.
The FLNG vessel will allow the Anglo-Dutch supermajor to place gas liquefaction facilities directly over offshore gas fields. The company hopes that giving gas producers a cheaper alternative to using pipelines and onshore liquefaction infrastructure will pay off in the long term.
“Today marks a milestone in developing Shell’s generic FLNG solution. In partnership with various stakeholders, we are progressing several potential applications globally – gas fields for which Shell’s FLNG solution is the most viable approach,” Jon Chadwick, Shell’s executive vice president, Upstream International said.
The FLNG concept’s key dimensions are approximately 450 metres x 70 metres, with a 3.5 mtpa LNG capacity, plus associated LPG and condensate production; taking total liquid production potential to over 5 mtpa.
Topsides weight is estimated in excess of 50,000 tonnes. Shell’s FLNG design is suitable for more distant offshore fields, designed to operate under harsh conditions and process a wide range of gas compositions.
