Golar gets go-ahead for Tortue FLNG conversion

The Bermuda-based LNG shipping giant Golar LNG said on Monday that it has received a limited notice to proceed from BP for the provision of a floating LNG producing unit for BP’s West African project.

Golar LNG entered into a preliminary deal in April with units of BP in Mauritania and Senegal for the provision of an FLNG to support the development of Phase 1A of the Greater Tortue / Ahmeyin field, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal.

The offshore field holds an estimated resource of over 25 trillion cubic feet of gas.

“The LNTP is in furtherance of the preliminary agreement and heads of terms for a charter agreement with BP which was announced by Golar on April 19,” the LNG shipper said in a statement.

The vessel conversion would take place at Singapore’s Keppel Shipyard building on Keppel’s delivery of the FLNG Hilli Episeyo, utilizing Black and Veatch Corporation’s PRICO technology, the statement said. Golar LNG added that discussions regarding a minority investment in the vessel are also being progressed.

In a separate statement on Monday, Keppel said that Keppel Offshore & Marine has received a limited notice to proceed from Golar Gimi Corporation to start early conversion works for the Gimi FLNG over a period of up to four months, worth up to S$50 million.

Full construction activities, further to the early conversion works under the LNTP, will commence when Keppel Shipyard receives the final notice to proceed, it said.

The Tortue discovery was made by Kosmos Energy, which farmed down its investment to BP in December 2016.

BP has the largest interest (60 percent) among the four partners in the project and is the operator.

LNG World News Staff