UAE: Drydocks World to Build World’s Largest Turret for Prelude FLNG

Drydocks World, international player in ship repair and rig upgrade, conversion and new building, announced that it will build the world’s largest turret weighing 11,500 tonnes for SBM Offshore, a pioneer in the offshore oil and gas industry, at its world-leading Dubai based shipyard.

The turret will be integrated in the world’s first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, to be deployed by Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd at its Prelude gas field off the northwest coast of Australia. It is a game changing and innovative use of technology that will allow Shell to bring new energy sources to market, by accessing offshore gas fields that would otherwise be uneconomic or difficult to develop via a traditional land-based facility.

SBM Offshore has been awarded the contract by Technip France (part of the “TSC” consortium formed by Technip and Samsung Heavy Industries) for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the FLNG Turret Mooring System. The Turret Mooring System will anchor the FLNG facility at location for the duration of production operations, without the need to disconnect. The design allows the FLNG facility, to weathervane passively and resist prevailing weather conditions, including extreme Category 5 cyclone events. The turret will be approximately 30 metres in diameter and 90 metres in height.

“We are delighted to have signed for another pioneering project with SBM Offshore. We have together completed several groundbreaking projects that have led the way for implementing technological innovations in oil and gas exploration and production. We have previous experience as well as the required resources and facilities to carry out this work successfully. We have been audited by all parties involved and prequalified to bid for this project due to our track record, facilities, emphasis on quality and safety compliance,” said Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman of Drydocks World and Maritime World

The scope of the yard’s work is to fabricate and load-out the internal turret in six modules. Design, material and equipment are provided by SBM Offshore.

The Shell Prelude FLNG will be built by the TSC Consortium at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, Korea.

It will be the largest floating offshore facility in the world, measuring 488 metres from bow to stern and weighing around 600,000 tonnes when fully loaded. It will be moored over 200 kilometres from land and will produce gas from offshore subsea fields, treat and liquefy it onboard via a cooling process before storing and exporting the LNG via conventional LNG carriers.