Liquefied Natural Gas: Africa’s First Floating Production Starts In Cameroon

(Cameroon Tribune) The floating unit put in place thanks to an agreement reached among SNH, Perenco Cameroon and Golar LNG Limited will produce 1.2 million tons of LNG per year.

Production of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) on floating platform has commenced 20 km off the coast of Cameroon. Actual production started on Monday March 12, on Golar’s floating LNG platform, officials of the gas company said. The move makes

Cameroon the first country in the continent to make use of the technology and the world’s second practical example.

The tolling agreement, which defines the material commercial terms and conditions for the project, was reached in 2017 among the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH), Perenco Cameroon and Golar LNG Limited, before approval by government.

Back then, SNH said the floating LNG project was going to be the first worldwide which places the SNH and its partners at the heart of innovation in the international gas industry and make Cameroon join the small group of natural gas exporting countries. Production is supposed to initially last eight years.

Cameroon Tribune learned Golar’s floating LNG platform will exploit natural gas in the Sanaga and Ebome fields, offshore Kribi. Gas to be extracted from six wells located on the Sanaga field will be processed in Bipaga’s facilities, before being moved to the platform for concrete liquefaction.

Some 1.2 million tons of LNG per year are expected to be produced for export to global markets via Golar’s FLNG vessel  Hilli Episeyo, while 30,000 tons of domestic gas will be destined for Cameroonian households. Golar LNG is yet to say when the Hilli would begin exports but that may likely be in April this year using the Galicia Spirit LNG tanker.

Experts hold the success in Cameroon could spur Golar to speed up its implantation in Equatorial Guinea, as well as encourage other African countries to adopt the technology.

We learned Golar, by kick starting floating plant in the country, is wiping out danger related to the risks associated with squeezing equipment into a fraction of the space occupied by an LNG plant on land. It should be noted that natural gas when liquefied can be shipped and sold around the world on tankers, like oil.

AMINDEH Blaise ATABONG