Shell’s Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility has left the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, South Korea.
The facility, constructed by Technip Samsung Consortium, is being towed to North West Australia, where the next phase of the project will begin.
Prelude now faces a 5,800 kilometers journey across the ocean to its new home. The journey is estimated at at least a month.
On arrival at the Prelude offshore gas field, 475 kilometres (295 miles) north-north east of Broome, Western Australia, pre-installed mooring chains will be lifted from the seabed and secured to the facility. Once secure, the hook-up and commissioning process will begin.
In the next two decades, Prelude is expected to produce 3.6 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year, as well as liquefied petroleum gas and condensate, a light oil. It is also expected to create 350 direct jobs for Australia.
Shell is the operator of Prelude FLNG in joint venture with INPEX (17.5%), KOGAS (10%) and OPIC (5%), working with long-term strategic partners Technip and Samsung Heavy Industries (the Technip Samsung Consortium).