Eni to Deploy FLNG Unit Offshore the Republic of Congo

2.4 MTPA FLNG Rendering - Credit: Wison

Italian oil giant Eni has signed a contract with China's Wison Heavy Industry for the construction and installation of a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit with a capacity of 2.4 MTPA (million tons per annum). The FLNG will be deployed offshore the Republic of Congo.

The 380-meter-long and 60-meter-wide vessel will be anchored at a water-depth of around 40 meters and will be able to store over 180,000 cubic meters of LNG and 45,000 cubic meters of LPG. 

Preliminary activities have already started, with long lead items ordered and the steel cut of cryogenic tanks occurring on December 20, Eni said Thursday.

This facility will be the second FLNG to be deployed in the Republic of Congo, the first one being Tango FLNG (0.6 MTPA capacity), with LNG production expected to begin in 2023. 

"With the second FLNG, overall LNG production capacity on Marine XII will reach 3 million tons/year (over 4.5 billion cubic meters/year) in 2025. Both initiatives are part of Marine XII gas valorisation plan, in line with Eni’s strategy to leverage gas equity," Eni said.

Huaqing Wei, Vice President of Wison said: “We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Eni on this very strategic project. We are committed to delivering this world-class FLNG facility and to supporting Eni’s fast-track project implementation plan. Following the construction of Tango FLNG facility in 2017, this major EPCIC contract demonstrates Wison’s pioneering and developing capabilities in the rapidly growing global FLNG business.”

Worth nothing, Eni recently sent the first LNG shipment from its FLNG project on the east coast of Africa, the Coral FLNG, in Mozambique.