Kuala Lumpur, 17 February 2021 – Petronas’ second floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, PFLNG DUA, has recently achieved its ‘first drop’ LNG production. This validates the technology concept of floating LNG solutions for deep-water gas fields.
Petronas Vice President of LNG Asset, Zakaria Kasah, said, “This achievement showcases our focused execution and continuous effort in pushing boundaries to deliver innovative and customer-centric solutions. Despite operating in a challenging environment that is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have managed to commission this megastructure and achieve the first LNG production in seven days upon the first gas in. This is a record achievement, and a great milestone for Petronas and the LNG industry.”
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The first facility, PFLNG SATU, is located at the Rotan gas field, 140 kilometres off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. In collaboration with its upstream Production Sharing Contract partner, PTT Exploration and Production, it has successfully completed the subsea commissioning phase and achieved its ‘first gas’ on 6 February 2021.
PFLNG SATU first produced LNG from the Kanowit gas field in offshore Sarawak in 2016 and was successfully relocated to Kebabangan field in offshore Sabah in 2019. This game-changing solution allows for the processing of LNG to be done offshore hundreds of kilometres away from land.
Meanwhile, PFLNG DUA is expected to deliver its first LNG cargo to customers by mid-March 2021. Upon commercialisation, Petronas will become the first global energy company to own and operate two floating LNG facilities.
Its versatility enables Petronas to unlock remote and stranded gas fields that were previously uneconomical to explore. Designed to last up to 20 years without dry-docking, the 365-metre-long floating facility is expected to be able to produce 1.5 million tonnes of LNG per year, reaching gas fields in water depths of up to 1,500 metres.
The project is expected to become part of Petronas’ portfolio of LNG facilities around the world. It aims to produce cleaner energy, and at the same time, transform Sabah into a regional deep-water hub.
– Construction+ Online
Source: Petronas
