Shell floating LNG technology chosen by
joint venture for Greater Sunrise project
29 April, 2010
Shell’s Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) technology has been selected as the Sunrise Joint Venture’s preferred option for developing the Greater Sunrise gas fields in the Timor Sea.
Subject to final detailed agreements, government approvals and a final investment decision Shell will operate the FLNG facility and manage the design and build phases of the FLNG project for the Sunrise Joint Venture participants.
The Sunrise project would be the second deployment of Shell’s proprietary FLNG design, following Shell’s Prelude FLNG development in the Browse basin, offshore Western Australia. The Sunrise FLNG facility would produce around 4.0 million tonnes per annum of LNG as well as condensate.
In selecting Shell’s FLNG technology, the Sunrise Joint Venture has undertaken a rigorous technical and commercial evaluation drawing on Shell’s extensive research and development of FLNG technologies.
As part of the Sunrise Joint Venture Shell will work with Woodside and the governments of Timor-Leste and Australia to advance the Sunrise FLNG development, which would bring significant long term economic benefits to both countries.
The Sunrise Joint Venture participants comprise Shell (26.6%) Woodside (33.4%), ConocoPhillips (30%) and Osaka Gas (10%).
Shell in Australia
Shell has been operating in Australia since 1901 and employs around 2,500 people. It has a one-sixth interest in the North West Shelf Venture, operates Shell’s Prelude FLNG project offshore north west Australia, and holds equity interests in other developments including the Gorgon Joint Venture (which recently took FID), and the Sunrise and Browse Joint Ventures. Shell is also active in the coal seam gas industry in Australia, developing a LNG project in Gladstone, Queensland and is currently seeking to acquire Arrow Energy in conjunction with PetroChina (subject to corporate and regulatory approvals).
Shell is a global, integrated energy company with operations in more than 100 countries and territories, with businesses including: oil and gas exploration; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals; and renewable energy projects including biofuels.
Shell FLNG
The dimensions of Shell’s FLNG facility are approximately 480 by 75 metres. When fully ballasted, the FLNG facility weighs around 600,000 tonnes.
Shell’s FLNG solution means the facility can be re-deployed to another gas field once production at one gas field is complete, and its standardised “design one, build many” approach allows repeatability gains to be captured during design and construction phases. It is suitable for more distant offshore fields, remains on station during harsh ocean conditions such as cyclones, and can process a wide range of gas compositions.
Greater Sunrise
Greater Sunrise includes the two fields of Sunrise and Troubadour and is located some 450 km north west of Darwin and 150 km south of Timor-Leste.
The fields are unitised and administered jointly by Australia and Timor-Leste through a suite of international agreements, including the Timor Sea Treaty, Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea and the International Unitisation Agreement.
Shell