When bigger is better ... Prelude FLNG, the world's biggest floating structure

摘要

Imagine the largest LNG carrier in the world ... then multiply the size by a factor of five. This gives you an idea of just how big Prelude - the world's first floating liquefied natural gas (FISNQ) project - really is. At just under half a kilometre in length and 73 meters wide, Prelude will eventually contain 260,000 metric tons of steel - that's more than was used in the original World Trade Centre in New York. With an expected life cycle of at least fifty years, a huge amount of stainless steels, including duplex grades, are used in the project. Valve World met Andrew Barnes of Shell Global Solutions and Anthony Pearson of SBM Offshore at the Duplex Seminar & Summit, where they presented this mammoth project. Andrew provided an overview of the project and Anthony talked about SBM Offshore's contribution, as providers of the turret, and some of the materials challenges it is presenting.