Africa’s first FLNG unit in place. Production to start by end 2017
The world’s first converted FLNG unit, and soon to be Africa’s first FLNG unit producing LNG from an offshore gas field, has reached its final location in Cameroon after a long journey from Singapore.
On the 30th November Golar informed that the FLNG Hilli was on site in Cameroon “with production expected to commence shortly.”
Converted from a large LNG carrier, – the Hilli Episeyo – the world’s first converted FLNG vessel – was delivered to Golar early in October, after which it left Singapore.
The 293 metre long vessel will be moored and connected to an offshore gas field, from which it will take gas and convert it to LNG for exports, making it the first operational FLNG unit in Africa.
The Hilli Episeyo, unit will be put in operation offshore Kribi, Cameroon for Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures and Perenco Cameroon.
According to Golar’s statement on the 30th November, the Hilli arrived in Cameroon on the 20th November and hook-up and connection to risers and umbilicals is now underway.
Golar said that the following period would see tendering of a Notice of Readiness, which triggers commissioning rate toll fees. A ship-to-ship transfer of LNG for commissioning purposes will be carried out, followed by the start of the full commissioning process.
“As part of this process, Golar anticipates production of first commercial LNG to take place around year end. Final commissioning is expected to complete during the second half of the first quarter 2018 and the project remains well within budget,” Golar said.
Hilli Episeyo was converted from the 1975-built Moss LNG carrier with a storage capacity of 125,000 m3. It was designed for a liquefaction capacity of about 2.4 million tonnes of LNG per annum.
The vessel recently became part of the first commercial Liquefied Natural Gas bunker transfer in Singapore. Namely, FueLNG, a joint venture between Keppel and Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd (Shell), completed truck-to-ship bunkering for the FLNG vessel.