FLNG’s arrival marks ‘major’ step toward first gas from BP’s giant project

UK-headquartered energy giant BP has welcomed the arrival of a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit destined for its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal.

Golar LNG’s FLNG Gimi, which will work on the GTA project, departed Singapore’s Seatrium shipyard on November 19, 2023. The vessel was converted from a 1976-built Moss LNG carrier to a floating LNG production unit. This unit is designed to provide circa 2.5 million tons of LNG per annum on average, with the total gas resources in the field estimated to be around 15 trillion cubic feet.

According to Golar LNG, the FLNG Gimi arrived at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field offshore Mauritania and Senegal on January 10, 2024. Once all preparatory activities have been completed, this FLNG will be maneuvered to its berth at the hub and for its subsequent connection to the feed gas pipeline. The FLNG Gimi will be moored offshore Tenerife while awaiting the completion of the necessary preparatory activities.

Karl-Fredrik Staubo, Golar CEO, stated: “Golar is pleased to see that the FLNG Gimi has arrived at the GTA field offshore Mauritania and Senegal, her home for the next 20 years. We are excited to integrate the Golar FLNG facility with the GTA hub, and starting the next phase of our long-term relationship with BP and the GTA partners into LNG production.”

Furthermore, the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project development envisions the production of gas from an ultra-deepwater subsea system and mid-water floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which will process the gas, removing heavier hydrocarbon components. The gas will then be transferred to an FLNG facility.

The Tortue FPSO embarked on its journey to the GTA project on January 20, 2023, from Qidong, China, upon completion of a series of sea trials following construction at Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry over three and half years. The GTA development’s first phase is set to produce around 2.3 million tons of LNG per year.

Moreover, BP previously explained that the majority of the gas would be liquefied by the FLNG facilities, enabling export to international markets, while some would be allocated to help meet growing demand in the two host countries. Allseas’ vessels are executing the subsea pipelay scope.

Commenting on the FLNG Gimi’s arrival, Rahman Rahmanov, BP’s Vice President of Projects for Mauritania & Senegal, highlighted: “This is a major step forward for overall delivery of the GTA1 project in Mauritania and Senegal. Safely achieving this milestone is a result of great teamwork.”

The launch of the GTA project is slated for 1Q 2024. BP sees this gas development as “the biggest project” in its portfolio, which has “enough gas to support production for at least 20 years.”