The sail-away ceremony for Eni’s Nguya floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit was held in Shanghai. The unit is set to significantly boost LNG production to 3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) as part of the Congo LNG project in the Marine XII concession, offshore the Republic of Congo. The ceremony was attended by Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Congo, and the Eni delegation led by Stefano Maione, Director of Development, Operations & Energy Efficiency.
The Nguya unit, 376 meters long and 60 meters wide, will be moored at a depth of 35 meters and used for liquefied natural gas production. Designed with advanced technologies to ensure a reduced carbon footprint, it stands as a benchmark in the industry. Conceived, designed, and built in only 33 months – from contract award to sail away – the FLNG sets a record for time-to-market in the entire sector. Moreover, its cutting-edge technical features allow it to process gas from multiple fields, making it suitable for the development of future fields as well.
Furthermore, the floating production and compression unit – formerly the Scarabeo 5 drilling rig – has been refurbished and will depart in the coming days. It will be used to send processed gas to the Nguya unit. Through an innovative transformation, Eni was able to meet execution timelines, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact. This is a concrete example of circular economy and industrial reuse, fully aligned with Eni’s decarbonization strategy.
Work on the subsea infrastructure required to launch Phase 2 of the Congo LNG project is progressing on schedule, enabling mooring and startup by the end of 2025.
Tango FLNG (0.6 MTPA) began production in December 2023 and has already exported 12 cargoes. It will be joined by the Nguya FLNG (2.4 MTPA) by the end of the year, bringing the total capacity of the Congo LNG project to 3 MTPA.
Eni has been present in the Republic of Congo for over 55 years and plays a leading role in developing the country’s significant gas resources. The company also supplies gas to the Congo Power Plant, which provides 70% of the country’s electricity generation capacity, and is active in numerous initiatives aimed at improving access to energy, water, healthcare, and economic diversification for local communities.
