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Cosco completes FPSO for BP LNG project in West Africa
Vessel will process and transfer gas to floating facility on Mauritania-Senegal maritime border
Michael Marray 28 Sep 2022

Chinese shipyard Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry has completed the construction of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for British oil giant BP’s Greater Tortue-Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas project offshore West Africa.

A ceremony to mark the completion of N999 bp FPSO was held at the Cosco Shipping Qidong yard in Jiangsu Province on September 9, attended by executives from BP and Technip Energies.

The vessel will be deployed as a critical element of the LNG export project for Mauritania and Senegal. Kosmos, based in Dallas, Texas, is BP’s partner in the joint venture.

The first Mauritania-Senegal Floating LNG production facility is scheduled to come online early next year. The project is centred on the GTA gas fields, the first phase of which is about 80% complete.

Mooring piles have already been constructed ahead of the FPSO delivery. The vessel is expected to set sail from China in the fourth quarter.

FLNG facility

The gas from the field will be processed by the FPSO, which will remove heavier hydrocarbon components and transfer the gas to a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility located on the Mauritania and Senegal maritime border.

The FPSO is 270 metres in length and 54.5 metres wide. It has an oil storage capacity of 1.44 million barrels. Its living quarters can accommodate 140 people.

In 2019 TechnipFMC won the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) contract for the project worth around US$1 billion. The company has since split into two – Technip FMC and Technip Energies.

Qidong Cosco Shipping Offshore Engineering was responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the FPSO’s main hull and living quarters, as well as the construction of topside modules.

Carrier reconfigured

In addition to the FPSO, a floating liquefaction plan is being completed at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore. This involves the conversion of a conventional LNG carrier, the Gimi, into a liquefaction facility, which will have an output of 2.5 million tonnes per annum.

Golar LNG owns 70% of the FLNG, with Keppel Capital owning the remaining 30%.  It will serve the GTA project under a 20-year charter contract.

According to Golar, the project’s target sailaway has been delayed until the first half of 2023, with the 20-year charter contract starting in the second half of 2023. 

The GTA project is expected to move ahead with a second phase, in partnership with the national oil and gas companies of Senegal and Mauritania, Petrosen and SMHPM respectively.

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