Speaking on his firm’s Q1 earnings call last month Andy Inglis, CEO of US independent Kosmos, BP’s partner at the Tortue FLNG project on the Mauritania/Senegal maritime border, said that laying subsea flowlines was now the “critical path” to achieving first gas from 2.5mn t/y Phase 1 by end-2023 with the first LNG cargo to load in Q1 2024.
However, Karl Fredrik Staubo, CEO of Golar LNG, which is set to deliver the project’s ‘Gimi’ FLNG, told his own firm’s Q1 call last week that “target sail away” from Keppel’s Singapore yard “has shifted from first half until 3Q 2023.” The Gimi was “94% technically complete” as of 28 May, Mr Staubo says. “Our sail away dates have been pushed from first half this year until Q3 this year to allow for time to fully complete the vessel, conduct increased testing at the yard and in line with the overall schedule for the project.” “The majority of remaining works are piping, system testing and pre-commissioning,” he says adding that this “is not expected to impact first feed gas on the Tortue project.” (CONTINUED - 299 WORDS)