Drydocks World, a DP World company, announced the successful conversion of two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vessels to boost production off the coast of the Republic of Congo.
The deployment of the Tango Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) and Excalibur Floating Storage Unit (FSU) vessels – in collaboration with Antwerp-based Exmar and Italian energy company, Eni — marks a significant milestone in the ongoing Eni’s Congo LNG project.
The project is a world first — joining two vessels by using a ‘spread mooring’ system designed and patented by Exmar. The newly combined assets complement each other to gather, liquefy, store and offload LNG from Eni’s Marine XII block, situated offshore from Pointe Noire in the Republic of the Congo.
Drydocks World carried out the conversion — which included the addition of 12 steel mooring foundation structures, totaling more than 4,000 tonnes of steel. These structures are crucial to the combined spread moored configuration.
Remarkably, the conversion was achieved in just five months. Drydocks was able to cut the project time significantly by pre-rigging the offshore mooring chains in its Mina Rashid shipyard. This complex task, typically performed offshore, was successfully completed in the yard, by experienced Drydocks World’s sailors and marine riggers.
Drydocks World CEO, Capt. Rado Antolovic, PhD, said: “This high-profile project, completed under the highest industry standards, in partnership with our long-standing customers, Exmar and Eni underscores our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the maritime industry. Our dedicated team delivered a fast-tracked project tailored to the needs of our clients and maintained exceptional quality throughout. We have a robust solutions-oriented system to deliver sustainable solutions that support cleaner energy usage across the maritime and energy sectors.”
Tango FLNG, which has a liquefaction capacity of approximately 1 billion cubic meters per annum of gas (BCMA), will be moored 3 kilometers offshore along with the Excalibur FSU vessel upon their arrival in Congo.