Global oil and gas shipper Exmar will meet the rising demand for alternative, clean fuel with the world’s first proven Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Unit (FLNG). The FLNG unit can be moored in calm waters near shore to convert gas from onshore.
The FLNG unit was built by Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd. (Wison) at its fabrication facility in Nantong, China. Black & Veatch has been a pioneer in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry since the 1960s and provided engineering and procurement for topside liquefaction equipment and packages using its patented PRICO® LNG technology. Black & Veatch also provided construction support, on-site commissioning and startup services.
“The results from the in-depth performance testing further confirms the leadership in FLNG project delivery that we are bringing to the industry through our floating LNG solutions program,” said Bob Germinder, Senior Vice President of Black & Veatch’s Oil & Gas business. “Our PRICO® technology is being applied in more than 30 LNG operations worldwide, and with the completion of this performance testing, the first of five Black & Veatch-designed FLNG trains are now proven in the marketplace, demonstrating how we are helping to meet the growing demand for energy.”
The FLNG unit consists of a nonpropelled barge equipped to convert 72 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas into LNG (half-million metric tons of LNG per annum). The LNG will be temporarily stored in onboard tanks with a total capacity of 16,500 cubic meters. This can be subsequently offloaded either to a permanently moored floating storage unit or shuttle tankers.
The global LNG trade is increasing steadily, with the world seeing a race to provide viable solutions that enable LNG processing to be based offshore, closer to production wellheads. The new unit will be redeployed rapidly to other field locations when required.
“Black & Veatch has its own PRICO® LNG technology. The company’s experience and capabilities in FLNG topside design complement Wison’s capability for hull and module fabrication design. Based on Black & Veatch’s strong capabilities in LNG upstream and downstream, Wison is looking forward to a long-term relationship.”
W.I. Hua, Chairman, Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd.
