Still under construction, the vessel will be the largest floating facility ever built, with a hull nearly half a kilometre in length at 488m.

However, while it is big enough to withstand oceanic forces, it will be about a quarter of the size of an onshore LNG plant.

Shell expects the facility will unlock energy sources offshore, making previously stranded projects viable and producing about 3.6 million tonnes per annum of LNG.

The vessel's first port of call is in the remote Browse Basin about 475km northeast of Broome where it will become part of the scenery for around 25 years.

The facility will remain onsite regardless of weather, with engineers designing the facility to withstand a category 5 cyclone.