UK major BP confirmed in its Q2 results on 1 August that the 2.5mn t/y Phase-1 of the Tortue LNG project on the Mauritania-Senegal maritime border “is now expected to start-up during the first quarter of 2024.”
Start-up had already been pushed back several times, with Andy Inglis, CEO of BP’s US partner Kosmos, most recently on 9 May indicating the end of this year. MEES was skeptical of this timeline, noting that in addition to the “critical path” to first gas identified by Mr Inglis – the delayed start of work on subsea flowlines by the ‘Amazon’ pipelaying vessel – delivery of the key FLNG vessel was also running late (MEES, 9 June). On 30 May Karl Fredrik Staubo, CEO of Golar LNG, acknowledged that the “target sail away” for the ‘Gimi’ FLNG “has shifted from first half until 3Q 2023.” The Gimi remains in Keppel’s Tuas shipyard in Singapore, whilst the project’s FPSO remains moored off Mauritius. (CONTINUED - 222 WORDS)