Shell Prelude FLNG - an overview
Floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) is a
revolutionary technology that will allow Shell to access offshore gas
fields that would otherwise be too costly or difficult to develop.
Prelude FLNG (100% Shell) is the world’s first FLNG development.
Key facts
| Location: | Browse Basin, Australia |
|---|
| Depth: | ~250 metres |
|---|
| Category: | Floating liquefied natural gas |
|---|
| Interest: | Shell 100% |
|---|
| Fields: | Prelude and potentially other Shell natural gas assets in the region |
|---|
| FLNG facility production capacity: | At least 5.3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquids: 3.6 mtpa of LNG, 1.3 mtpa of condensate and 0.4 mtpa of LPG |
|---|
| Key contractors: | Technip/Samsung Heavy Industries consortium |
|---|
Current developments
Shell took final investment decision on the Prelude FLNG Project on
20 May, 2011. It will start building a floating liquefied natural gas
(FLNG) facility to produce and export LNG off the coast of Australia at
the site of the gas field.
Over 1.6 million man hours were worked
for the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase of development for
the Prelude FLNG Project.
Once operational, the Prelude FLNG
facility will produce at least 5.3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of
liquids: 3.6 mtpa of LNG, 1.3 mtpa of condensate (equivalent to 35,000
bbl/d) and 0.4 mtpa of LPG.
Shell has moved the Prelude FLNG
project forward at a rapid pace, with first production of LNG expected
some ten years after the gas was discovered. Shell discovered the
Prelude gas field in 2007.
Technology
The floating facility will chill natural gas produced at the field to
–162°C, shrinking its volume by 600 times so it can be shipped to
customers in other parts of the world. Ocean-going carriers will load
the LNG as well as other liquid by-products (condensate and LPG) for
delivery to market.
The Prelude FLNG facility will be 488m long,
74m wide and will displace around 600,000 tonnes of water. It will be
the largest floating offshore facility in the world.
The Prelude
FLNG facility will be built at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje Island
ship yards in South Korea. The Samsung ship yard is one of the few yards
in the world big enough to construct a facility of this size.
Once
constructed, the facility will be towed to its location, approximately
475 kilometres north-northeast of Broome, Western Australia. The
facility will be moored and hooked up to the undersea infrastructure and
the whole production system commissioned.
The Prelude FLNG
facility has been designed to withstand the most powerful tropical
cyclones. It will remain permanently moored at the location for around
25 years before needing to dock for inspection and overhaul.
The
LNG, LPG and condensate produced will be stored in tanks in the hull of
the facility. LNG and LPG carriers will moor alongside to offload the
products.
Markets
The Prelude FLNG Project is well placed to help meet the growing natural gas demand of Asia.
Environment & society
The project will create around 350 direct and many more indirect
jobs. It will also provide taxes and revenue to Australia, create
opportunities for local businesses and result in Shell spending billions
in capital and operating expenditure.
The Australian Government gave the Prelude FLNG Project environmental approval - opens in new window on November 12, 2010.
The
Prelude FLNG Project will use significantly less materials, land and
seabed area than developing the same gas via a similar onshore facility.
Developing
the gas at the location of the gas field will reduce impact on
sensitive coastal habitats as FLNG avoids the need for shoreline pipe
crossings, dredging and jetty works. Product carriers will be far from
coastal reefs or whale migration routes.
