Tango FLNG and Excalibur FSU on their way to start up first phase of Eni’s Congo LNG project

Tango floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) and Excalibur floating storage unit (FSU) have set sail to Congo as Eni prepares to start up the first phase of its Congo LNG project in December 2023.

Following refurbishment carried out by Exmar, the two vessels sailed away from Dry Docks World yard in Dubai to Congo’s offshore on October 21.

The milestone was celebrated by Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of the Congo, Maixent Raoul Ominga, Managing Director of SNPC, and Guido Brusco, Eni’s Chief Operating Officer Natural Resources.

Eni said the sail away of the two vessels aligns with the timeline of the Congo LNG project, whose first phase will kick off in December this year.

Tango FLNG, which has a liquefaction capacity of approximately 1 billion cubic meters per annum of gas (bcma), will be moored 3 kilometers offshore along with the Excalibur FSU vessel upon their arrival in Congo. Exmar, which has built and formerly owned Tango FLNG, provides the Excalibur FSU on a long-term charter, and will be responsible for all terminal operations on the Congo LNG project.

The Congo LNG project, which will see the installation of two FLNG plants, is expected to reach an overall LNG production capacity of 3 million tons per year (approximately 4.5 billion cubic meters/year) from 2025. It will exploit the gas resources of the Marine XII project, fulfilling the country’s power generation needs while also fuelling LNG exports, and supplying new volumes of gas to international markets focusing on Europe.

The second FLNG plant, already under construction, is expected to become operative in 2025, with a capacity of 2.4 mtpa.

Furthermore, the project will help the Republic of the Congo meet its energy needs while seizing the opportunity to exploit surplus gas through LNG production, and according to the agreements recently signed, all LNG produced will be marketed by Eni.