Coral Sul FLNG arrives on site in Mozambique

The LNG floating vessel (FLNG) Coral Sul has arrived in Zone 4, off the coast of Mozambique, with the aim of starting production in the second half of 2022.

The Instituto Nacional de Petróleo (INP) announced the arrival of the vessel in the Rovuma basin.

The regulator said certification of the helipad is underway, which will allow the landing and take-off of helicopters for the ship’s crew. Inspections of various components are also coming, he said, by a multisectoral team.

The INP said it was working to ensure the Coral Sul complied with HSE requirements, noting the importance of contingency plans.

Another team will inspect the vessel before issuing the operating license, in accordance with regulation 84/2020. The INP said it expects this to take place in April.

The regulator added that the vessel’s arrival was on schedule. It started with the Final Investment Decision (FID) in June 2017. Construction started in 2018.

The INP noted that work had taken place around the world. Most of it was in the Geoje shipyards of Samsung Heavy Industry (SHI), South Korea.

Major range

The production vessel is 432 meters long, 66 meters wide and weighs approximately 220,000 tonnes. It costs around $ 7 billion and can liquefy 3.37 million tonnes per year.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi visited South Korea in November for the official launching ceremony of the Coral Sul FLNG unit.

The state-owned company Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) has a 10% stake in the project, as do Galp Energia Rovuma and KOGAS Mozambique. Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), a joint venture of Eni, ExxonMobil and CNODC, owns the remaining 70%.

BP has committed to purchasing the output of the project for 20 years.

ALP Maritime ensured the towing of the vessel, with three tugs: the ALP Sweeper, the ALP Keeper and the ALP Striker.

Oxfam has calculated that Mozambique will earn around $ 11.6 billion from Coral Sul FLNG over its lifetime, according to the finance ministry. Eni predicted that Mozambique will earn $ 16 billion. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has budgeted up to $ 24.5 billion.