Manup

: Congo LNG FPU set sail for Angola

The Congo LNG Project Floating Production Unit, formerly one of the largest semi-submersible drilling rigs of its generation, converted into an FPU, is currently en route to Angola on Boskalis’ Blue Marlin vessel.

The FPU, converted from the drilling rig Scarabeo 5, left China for Angola and will eventually be stationed offshore in Congo to anchor the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) development, which will be used for the separation, hydrocarbons boost, and as a control hub for the entire offshore development of Congo LNG.

At around 41,000–42,000 tons and measuring 80 by 68 meters, the FPU is wider than the Blue Marlin’s own 63-meter deck, a fact that has not gone unnoticed in the offshore community. “This is one of those jobs where you look twice at the drawings and still wonder how they’ll make it work,” said a project engineer following the transport.

The 1990-built Scarabeo 5, originally built for Saipem as one of the largest semi-submersible drilling rigs of its generation, underwent a full conversion into an FPU at Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd. shipyard in Yantai, China. The project, completed in August, has been described by Saipem as a milestone in offshore engineering.