On January 16, the Coral Norte floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit, built by Samsung Heavy Industries for Italian energy giant Eni, was launched at the Geoje Shipyard in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The launch ceremony was attended by Estevão Pele, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mozambique, along with representatives from Eni, Samsung Heavy Industries and other relevant companies.
“Coral-Norte” FLNG is the second ultra-large facility built by SHI for Eni, following Africa’s first such facility, which Samsung received an order for in 2017 and delivered in 2021.
Coral-Norte FLNG measures 432 meters in length and 66 meters in width, making it large enough to line up four soccer fields end to end. Its launch weight alone reaches 123,000 tons.
SHI and Eni signed a preliminary agreement for main construction works worth KRW 869.4 billion on July last year and have since proceeded with the project, targeting completion in 2028.
Anchored by its flagship FLNG facility, Samsung Heavy Industries continues to strengthen its position as a global leader in offshore engineering. To date, SHI has secured 6 orders out of 10 FLNG units ordered worldwide. The company has delivered a total of four facilities, including Shell’s Prelude, the world’s largest FLNG unit, and is currently constructing two additional units at its Geoje shipyard, including Coral-Norte FLNG and third PETRONAS FLNG unit.
Meanwhile, US Delfin Midstream recently announced that the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the FLNG facility project in the US Gulf is imminent, following the extension of the Letter of Award (LOA) signed with Samsung Heavy Industries.
“With the continued growth in global LNG demand, approvals for major offshore gas production facilities are also steadily increasing,” stated Sung-an Choi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries. “Based on our construction capabilities, we plan to secure orders for one to two FLNG units every year.”