Lloyd’s Register is overseeing the world’s largest floating offshore facility which will operate in north-western Australia’s Browse Basin.
The Prelude facility being built by the TSC at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, Korea will measure 488 meters from bow to stern and weighing around 600,000 tones when fully loaded. It will be moored over 200 kilometers from land in Western Australia and will produce gas from offshore subsea fields, treat and liquefy it onboard via a cooling process before storing and exporting the LNG via conventional LNG carriers.
Once constructed the FLNG facility will be towed to location where it will be permanently moored in 250m-deep water through the turret, providing weathervaning capabilities, and a 4×4 mooring system. The FLNG facility and its mooring system have been designed to withstand extreme weather conditions including a Category 5 cyclone.
LR is using its expertise to classify the installation as well as certify its equipment and validate it against performance standards.
[mappress]
Press Release, October 9, 2012; Image: