Petronas floating LNG unit to tap into Kanowait field off Sarawak

Petronas' first floating LNG facility "PFLNG Satu"

KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s (Petronas) first floating LNG facility will have the capacity to produce 1.2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year at the Kanowit gas field, 180km offshore Sarawak.

It said on Monday the LNG facility “PFLNG Satu”, which would be moored at the gas field, would play a significant role in Petronas’ efforts to unlock the gas reserves in Malaysia's remote and stranded fields.

The floating LNG facility will support Petronas’ global LNG portfolio and enhance its reputation as a preferred and reliable LNG supplier. The facility is expected to be ready for sail away in the second quarter of 2016.
 
Petronas said the facility received its name last Friday during a ceremony held by national oil company, together with its strategic partners Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd (DSME) and Technip, at the DSME shipyard here in Okpo, South Korea. Petronas president and group CEO, Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, DSME president and CEO Sung Leep Jung and Technip chairman and CEO Thierry Pilenko. 

Wan Zulkiflee said the floating LNG facility signified a breakthrough achievement not only for the company but also for Malaysia. 

“The PFLNG Satu is a testament to the engineering capabilities of Petronas and its partners. Today, we have pushed the boundaries and turned our technological aspirations of having an LNG plant on a floating vessel into reality,” he added.

The floating LNG facility is a significant achievement and a game changer in the global LNG business as it paves the way for opportunities to monetise gas resources from remote, marginal and stranded fields, which would otherwise be uneconomical to develop via conventional means.