Prelude FLNG to start operating this month

Reuters has reported that Royal Dutch Shell expects production at its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit off the coast of northern Australia to start at the end of the year.

“We continue to progress Prelude towards operations, with safety and quality being our main focus … We expect to see production around the end of the year,” said a spokeswoman for the company.

Prelude is expected to have an annual LNG production capacity of 3.6 million tonnes. It will also produce 1.3 million tonnes a year of condensate and 400,000 tonnes a year of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Shell first decided to go ahead with the project in 2011. After long delays, it introduced gas to the 490 metre-long (1600 foot-long) Prelude FLNG for the first time earlier this year as part of the cooling process before start-up.

Shell owns 67.5% of the Prelude FLNG project. Japan’s Inpex Corp, Taiwan’s CPC Corp and Korea Gas Corp hold the rest of the shares.

Prelude is the world’s second and largest FLNG facility.

Image: Prelude with gas on board. Source: Shell Australia.