Golar LNG Moves Ahead with Another LNGC Conversion at Keppel

Owner and operator of gas carriers Golar LNG is moving ahead with its plans to convert one of its LNG carriers into a floating liquefaction vessel (FLNG) to support its charter agreement with BP.

As World Maritime News reported, the charter deal was inked in April 2018 with BP Mauritania Investments and BP Senegal Investments, in their capacity as block operators on the Greater Tortue/Ahmeyin field.

Earlier today, Golar LNG was notified by BP to proceed with the provision of the FLNG vessel to support the development of Phase 1 of the Greater Tortue / Ahmeyim field, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal. Golar added that discussions regarding a minority investment in the vessel are also being progressed.

The vessel conversion would take place at Keppel Shipyard Ltd building on Keppel’s delivery of the FLNG Hilli Episeyo, utilizing Black and Veatch Corporation’s PRICO technology.

FLNG Hilli Episeyo is the world’s first FLNG vessel that has been developed as a conversion project from an LNG carrier. Hilli Episeyo was converted from a 1975-built Moss LNG carrier with a storage capacity of 125,000 cubic meters at the Keppel Shipyard over a period of three years.

Designed for a liquefaction capacity of about 2.4 million tons of LNG per year, the ship was delivered in October 2017, and now operate offshore Kribi, Cameroon for Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures and Perenco Cameroon SA.

Under the deal,  BP also has an option on a second FLNG vessel.

Image Courtesy: Flickr-Kees Torn under CC BY-SA 2.0 license