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Golar LNG, a Bermuda-headquartered liquefied natural gas (LNG) midstream infrastructure owner and operator, has booked Seatrium, a Singapore-headquartered offshore, maritime, and energy solutions provider, for a potential third floating LNG (FLNG) conversion project.
Seatrium has entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with Golar LNG to advance a potential third FLNG conversion project, enabling the duo to enhance technical design development and project definition activities to finalize an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract in the second half of 2026.
The Asian firm emphasizes that an upfront consideration will support its activities relating to the LOI to be undertaken before EPC contract execution. The contemplated project builds on the long-standing partnership between the two companies, following the delivery of the 2.4 million tons of LNG per annum (mtpa) FLNG Hilli Episeyo in 2017 and the 2.7 mtpa FLNG Gimi in 2023.
Morten Skjong , Chief Technical Officer of Golar, remarked: “We are excited to continue our 20+ years’ partnership with Seatrium by developing potential further FLNG projects. With the FLNG Hilli on its way to Seatrium for vessel upgrades ahead of its 20-year charter in Argentina, we will seek to further expand our FLNG collaboration through today’s announced LOI.”
The Singapore-headquartered player claims that these projects are currently the world’s only two operational FLNG vessels converted from LNG carriers. With increasing demand for LNG and growing interest in flexible gas monetization solutions, Seatrium underlines that it remains well-positioned to support customers across the LNG value chain through its comprehensive engineering, conversion, and EPC capabilities.
Marlin Khiew , Executive Vice President of Seatrium Energy (Projects), commented: “We are proud to be partnering Golar once again on this FLNG development opportunity. Golar’s continued confidence in Seatrium reflects our proven track record in delivering complex floating gas solutions.
“Leveraging the experience gained from FLNG Hilli Episeyo and FLNG Gimi, we aim to enhance standardisation through a series-build approach that delivers greater execution certainty, speed to market and cost effectiveness.”
This LOI follows Golar LNG’s engineering, procurement, and construction award to Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore (CIMC Raffles) for its fourth FLNG, representing a second vessel of MKII design.
The move supports Shell’s LNG outlook , which indicates that global LNG demand is expected to grow by around 65% by 2050 to hit nearly 700 mtpa.
As countries bolster efforts to strengthen energy security, FLNG conversion is emerging as a faster and more flexible way to unlock offshore gas resources, allowing natural gas to be produced, liquefied, and exported directly at sea.