Meet the FLNG Vessel, the World's Largest Floating Natural Gas Factory, and Discover How Shell Makes This Gigantic Structure Operate

Meet the FLNG Vessel, the World’s Largest Floating Natural Gas Factory, and Discover How Shell Makes This Gigantic Structure Operate

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 25/06/2024 at 14:07

O navio FLNG, conhecido como Prelude, é um projeto colossal da Shell, uma das principais empresas de petróleo e gás do mundo. Este gigantesco navio foi construído para extrair e liquefazer gás natural diretamente no mar, sem a necessidade de instalações terrestres. Imagem: NAUTICS/Divulgação

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The FLNG Vessel, Known As Prelude, Is A Colossal Project By Shell, One Of The World’s Leading Oil And Gas Companies. This Massive Ship Was Built To Extract And Liquefy Natural Gas Directly At Sea, Without The Need For Land-Based Installations.

The Prelude FLNG Was Built By Samsung Heavy Industries In South Korea In 2012. Measuring 488 Meters Long, 74 Meters Wide, And 105 Meters Tall, The Ship Weighs Approximately 300,000 Tons When Fully Loaded. To Put That In Perspective, The Amount Of Steel Used In The Construction Of Prelude Is Equivalent To Building 35 Eiffel Towers.

Located Approximately 200 Km Off The Northwest Coast Of Australia, The Prelude Is Anchored To The Seabed With Robust Structures That Ensure Its Stability, Even In Extreme Weather Conditions Like Category 5 Cyclones. It Is Designed To Withstand Winds Of Up To 304 Km/h And Enormous Waves.

The Prelude Vessel Is Capable Of Producing 5.3 Million Tons Of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Condensate, And Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Annually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n26tcIctvsI&ab_channel=DefesaN%C3%A1utica

To Liquefy The Natural Gas, It Is Cooled To -162°C, Reducing Its Volume By 600 Times, Which Facilitates Storage And Transport.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Maintaining Such A Complex Operation In The Middle Of The Sea Is No Easy Task.

The Prelude Has Already Faced Various Issues, Including Electrical Failures And Fires. In February 2020, The Vessel Was Temporarily Shut Down Due To Electrical Problems. In December 2021, Another Fire Caused Production To Stop And Led To The Evacuation Of Most Of The Crew.

Despite The Challenges, The Prelude FLNG Represents A Significant Advancement In Natural Gas Extraction. Its Design Allows It To Be Moved To New Extraction Locations When Gas Fields Are Depleted, Increasing Its Utility And Longevity.

The Vessel Continues To Operate Normally Following Repairs And Improvements To Its Safety Systems. With Its Advanced Technology And Production Capacity, The Prelude FLNG Is An Impressive Example Of Naval Engineering And Innovation In The Energy Sector.

Meet the FLNG Vessel, the World’s Largest Floating Natural Gas Factory, and Discover How Shell Makes This Gigantic Structure Operate

The FLNG Vessel, Known As Prelude, Is A Colossal Project By Shell, One Of The World’s Leading Oil And Gas Companies. This Massive Ship Was Built To Extract And Liquefy Natural Gas Directly At Sea, Without The Need For Land-Based Installations.

The Prelude Vessel Is Capable Of Producing 5.3 Million Tons Of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Condensate, And Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Annually.

Maintaining Such A Complex Operation In The Middle Of The Sea Is No Easy Task.

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Meet the FLNG Vessel, the World’s Largest Floating Natural Gas Factory, and Discover How Shell Makes This Gigantic Structure Operate

The FLNG Vessel, Known As Prelude, Is A Colossal Project By Shell, One Of The World’s Leading Oil And Gas Companies. This Massive Ship Was Built To Extract And Liquefy Natural Gas Directly At Sea, Without The Need For Land-Based Installations.

The Prelude Vessel Is Capable Of Producing 5.3 Million Tons Of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Condensate, And Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Annually.

Maintaining Such A Complex Operation In The Middle Of The Sea Is No Easy Task.

A giant printer called the “Ferrari” of concrete has landed in Latin America and can already build a 120-square-meter house in just 48 hours, making the traditional construction site look like something from the last century.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Engineers had to pour concrete mixed with tons of ice throughout entire nights in the Dubai desert to erect the Burj Khalifa; any carelessness could clog the pipes half a mile high.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

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Federal state-owned companies accumulate a record deficit of R$ 5.9 billion in just 4 months, the worst result for the period since 2002, while Correios faces a loss of R$ 8.5 billion and financial restructuring.

In 2026, Brazil became the number one destination for Chinese capital abroad, with 52 megaprojects totaling 6.1 billion dollars in mining, railways, energy, and ports, in a silent advance that could compromise national logistics corridors.

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