Wison signs FEED contract for Nigeria-bound FLNG

China-based provider of clean energy services Wison New Energies has inked a front-end engineering and design (FEED) deal with Nigeria’s Ace Gas and FLNG for a proposed project comprising a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit and a power barge off the coast of the West African country.

The project aims to develop an FLNG with a production capacity of approximately 3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Once moored approximately 10 kilometers offshore in waters with a depth of about 20 meters, the unit is expected to receive and process up to 500 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas. 

Furthermore, the project entails delivering a stream of natural gas from the FLNG to a 230 MW power barge. This will be used for power generation and supply of electricity to the gas assets operated by Ace Gas and processing facilities within the Escravos and Forcados hubs.

The Chinese player said it feels confident that the FEED study will help give an overview of the project’s technical and economic feasibility, and provide a basis for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) stage. This follows the pre-FEED work Wison started in early 2024. 

Wison plans to use Chart Industries’ integrated pre-cooled single mixed refrigerant (IPSMR) technology to ensure the project’s operation. The solution was also used at New Fortress Energy’s (NFE) FLNG 1 unit off the coast of Altamira, dubbed “the fastest large-scale LNG project ever developed.”

According to Ace Gas, the gas volumes for the project will be sourced from multiple fields located within a minimum of four blocks in the swamp and shallow water regions close to the OML 109 field.

An integrated model is said to have been developed to ensure sufficient gas feedstock for the project’s two phases, including a possible expansion. The model is expected to help derisk upstream gas resourcing. The Nigerian player claims at least 7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas supply is guaranteed.

Ace Gas intends to market the LNG from the project through medium to long-term contracts, targeting gas shortages in Europe and potentially replacing Russian gas. The plan is also to supply 50 mmscfd of treated gas to Phase 1 of the floating power barge.

Wison recently won approval in principle (AiP) from Bureau Veritas (BV) for the FEED of its standardized floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. According to the Chinese player, employing advanced technologies allows its low-emission FPSO to reduce its carbon footprint by up to 40%.