Dutch firm picks up work on Eni’s LNG project offshore Congo

Dutch operator Kotug International has secured a contract with the subsidiary of Italy’s energy giant Eni to deliver marine services said to be critical for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Congolese waters.

Kotug’s scope of work on Eni’s Congo LNG project, described as the first LNG project in the country, entails deploying three Rotortugs to support several operations, including mooring and unmooring of vessels, handling mooring equipment, providing stand-by services, transporting pilots, and offering antipollution, oilfield goods, and passenger transport services.

Ard-Jan Kooren, President and CEO of Kotug, noted: “We are proud to be part of the Congo LNG project, providing our expertise and innovative Rotortugs to ensure the safe and efficient operation of this critical infrastructure. This partnership underscores KOTUG’s commitment to supporting the sustainable development of the local economy by leveraging local talent and resources and underscores our commitment to excellence in the LNG sector. We look forward to a successful collaboration with our partner ENI Congo and contributing to the project’s success.”

As disclosed by the Dutch player, Rotortug’s triangular propulsion design ensures enhanced safety and accurate maneuvering. Each tug delivers over 80 tons of bollard pull and features a propulsion configuration consisting of three thrusters, providing a high level of redundancy, cost savings, and faster handling under all circumstances.

Furthermore, the firm noted that it intends to contribute to the sustainable development of the country’s economy by collaborating with local suppliers and utilizing local goods and services to promote the employment and training of Congolese nationals.

The Congo LNG project has been designed to exploit the gas resources of the Marine XII block with the installation of two floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) units at the Nenè and Litchendjili fields. It is anticipated to have an overall annual LNG production capacity of 3 million tons or approximately 4.5 billion cubic meters from 2025.

The project encompasses the Tango FLNG unit and the Excalibur floating storage unit (FSU), with a second FLNG currently under construction. While the 0.6 million tons per annum (mtpa) Tango started making LNG deliveries in February, the 2.4-mtpa second unit is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2025.

In recent months, several new contracts related to Congo LNG have been signed and some existing ones have been expanded. Wison New Energies handed out a transport and installation contract to GEOOCEAN, while Eni appointed ABL to provide marine warranty survey services (MWS) for the second phase of the project, following ABL’s work on the first phase.