Partners of Area 4 Launch the Hull of Coral South FLNG

Partners of Area 4 Launch the Hull of Coral South FLNG

Maputo, 14 January 2020–Partners of Area 4 launched today the hull of the Coral Sul Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG), a treatment and liquefaction facility. The FLNG is part of the Coral Sul project that will put in production 450 billion cubic meters of gas of the Coral reservoir, offshore Mozambique. The lauch ceremony took place today at Samsung shipyards in Goeje, South Korea. This event marks the beginning of surface assembly of the FLNG South Coral Floating Platform.

During the event, Mr. Carlos Zacarias, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Petroleum Institute (INP), representing the Government of Mozambique, said “We believe that at this rate we will in fact have, by 2022, the production, liquefaction and export of the first LNG cargo into LNG supplier and from the Coral FLNG Project, converting Mozambique consequently making the expected contributing in job creation, development of local business and incomes from LNG sale to the country, for the benefit of the Mozambican state and people over the duration of the project" .

Mr. Adriano Mongini, Eni’s EVP, West Africa Region, said that “the Coral Sul FLNG hull launching in time and on schedule is an outstanding milestone which has been possible thanks to the commitment of Eni, its Area 4 partners, contractors and Mozambican institutions. We share the belief that Coral South is a pioneering project that will trigger further developments and new investments”.

With a gas liquefaction capacity of 3.4 million tons per year (MTPA), the Coral Sul FLNG will be the first FLNG ever deployed in deep waters, at water depth of approximately 2,000 meters. Drilling and completion activities for the six subsea wells that will feed the liquefaction unit are ongoing offshore Mozambique.

The hull launched today is 432 meters long, 66 meters wide and weighs approximately 220,000 tons. Its eight-storey accommodation module, which will house up to 350 people, is also ready to be lifted and integrated with the hull system. Fabrication activities are also well underway for the 12 gas treatment and LNG modules, with all main equipment ready for integration and first deck stacking executed.

The infrastructure, which is being built by the Samsung Heavy Industries consortium, JGC and Technip FMC, contracted to integrate all the components that will embody the Coral Sul FLNG project, is currently running at over 60%. Other components of the ship are being built in different parts of the world, including Singapore, France, the United States of America and Italy.

Meanwhile, in September 2019, the 6-holes drilling campaign, to embody the project in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, began, while work is underway at the Pemba logistics base in Cabo Delgado, which will allow the installation of subsea gas production equipment. Natural gas production is expected to begin in 2022.

Area 4 is operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A. (MRV), an incorporated joint venture owned by Eni, ExxonMobil and CNPC, which holds a 70 percent interest in the Area 4 exploration and production concession contract. In addition to MRV, Galp, KOGAS and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos E.P. each hold a 10 percent interest in Area 4. Eni is leading the construction and operation of the floating liquefied natural gas facility on behalf of MRV.