Floating LNG
Prelude is Shell鈥檚 first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, an offshore development that produces natural gas from a remote field off the coast of Western Australia.
Global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is forecast to rise by around 60% by 2040, according to the Shell LNG Outlook 2025.
Floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) technology is complementary to conventional onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it helps to accelerate the development of gas resources to meet the world鈥檚 growing demand.
How does FLNG technology work?
FLNG technology makes the production, liquefaction and storage of natural gas possible at sea. LNG is transferred directly from the floating facility to specific carriers for convenient shipping to countries around the world.
Natural gas is produced from underwater fields then processed and chilled to -162掳 C (-260掳 F). This shrinks its volume by 600 times to create LNG. The advanced design of an FLNG facility packs a typical land-based LNG plant into a fraction of its normal size.
Into reality: Prelude FLNG
Prelude is an operational floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, located offshore, north-east of Broome, in Western Australia. It is designed to extract, liquefy and store natural gas at sea, before it is transferred and shipped to customers.
Prelude has been designed to remain moored in the field for at least 25 years. It began production in December 2018 and offloaded the first LNG cargo in June 2019.
