Saipem has completed the conversion of its Scarabeo 5 semisubmersible drilling unit into a floating production unit (FPU) for gas separation and as a control hub to boost gas flow from Congo’s Marine XII offshore concession to Eni’s Nguya floating natural gas liquefaction plant, which is currently enroute to West Africa.
Following its refurbishment at the CIMC Raffles yard in Yantai, Shandong Province, China, Scarabeo 5 is now installed northwest of the Djeno Terminal offshore of the Republic of Congo in 35-m-deep water, Saipem announced on 26 August.
The same day, Eni reported on ceremonies that marked the departure of the Nguya floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit from Wison Heavy Industry’s fabrication yards in Nantong near Shanghai.
Congo’s minister of hydrocarbons, Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, attended the ceremonies in China together with an Eni delegation led by Stefano Maione, director of development, operations, and energy efficiency, Eni said in its release.
Kicking Off Phase 2
Once Nguya reaches West Africa and is hooked to Scarabeao 5, Eni will begin Phase 2 of its Congo LNG export project, which will enable the Italian major to claim even more of Africa’s LNG capacity, set to grow a further 14 million tonnes per year between now and 2028, according to the US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
While West Africa is largely driving this near-term LNG production growth, the FLNG technology championed by Eni in Congo is also making a mark in East Africa, where the Italian major has successfully monetized Mozambique’s Coral Sul gas field in Rovuma Basin, Area 4, and plans to do the same soon in Coral Norte.
Congo LNG shipped its first cargo in late February 2024 after the 0.6-million-tonne-per-year capacity Tango FLNG unit began operating as the project’s Phase 1 “nearshore FLNG” (Fig. 1). The addition of the Scarabeo 5 FPU and 2.4 mtpa capacity Nguya FLNG to the facilities network enables the boost to 3.0 million tonnes per year, according to Saipem.
Subsea infrastructure work required to launch Phase 2 is progressing on schedule, with mooring and startup to finish as planned in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Eni.
Setting New Benchmarks
Wison delivered Nguya on a fast-track schedule of just 33 months. At 376 m, the FLNG vessel is triple the length of a typical football field and slightly wider at 60 m.
It is designed to process gas from multiple fields with a reduced carbon footprint that Eni says sets new industry benchmarks for zero routine gas flaring, elimination of methane emissions, and minimizing carbon impact through the use of advanced liquefaction technologies.
The Scarabeo 5 FPU was similarly fast-tracked in less than 24 months, with conversion requiring the dismantling of drilling systems, refurbishing of marine systems, and installing of new topside processing modules, Saipem says.
Eni Congo awarded Saipem the Scarabeo 5 conversion contract in August 2023. Saipem’s remint covered engineering, procurement, construction, transportation, and commissioning of the FPU.
Eni has operated in the Republic of Congo for over 55 years and also supplies gas to the Congo Power Plant, which provides 70% of the country’s electricity generation capacity.
