FLNG Gimi arrives at BP's GTA field

Golar LNG on January 10 announced the successful arrival of its FLNG vessel, Gimi, at BP's Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field offshore Mauritania and Senegal. The vessel, which departed Singapore on November 19, is a key component in the partnership between Golar LNG and BP for LNG production.

After completing all necessary preparatory activities, FLNG Gimi will be maneuvered to her designated berth at the GTA hub. Subsequently, the vessel will be connected to the feed gas pipeline, marking a crucial step in the development of this strategic offshore project.

"We are excited to integrate the Golar FLNG Facility with the GTA hub, and starting the next phase of our long-term relationship with BP and the GTA partners into LNG production," Golar CEO Karl-Fredrik Staubo said. 

As part of the agreed plan, FLNG Gimi will moor offshore Tenerife while awaiting the completion of necessary preparatory activities. This strategic decision underscores the meticulous planning and execution involved in the project.

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, situated 120 km offshore in a water depth of 2850 meters, represents one of the deepest subsea developments in Africa. The ongoing Phase 1 development is expected to export gas to a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility located approximately 40 km offshore. Here, the gas will undergo processing and separation of liquids before being transported to floating LNG facilities positioned 10 km offshore. Upon commencement of operations, Phase 1 is projected to produce around 2.3mn tonnes/year of LNG.

In February of the previous year, BP and its partners, including PETROSEN, Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), and Kosmos Energy, confirmed the development concept for the second phase of the GTA LNG project. This development, known as GTA Phase 2 expansion project (GTA2), will be evaluated for a gravity-based structure (GBS) as the foundation, with an anticipated total capacity ranging between 2.5-3mn tonnes/year.