Prelude, which is some three times larger than Petronas' 1.2 million tonne per annum PFLNG-1 project, the first large-scale floating LNG project in the world, will use the New York-listed Emerson to provide automation maintenance and reliability services for Prelude.
Since 2010 Emerson has served as the main automation contractor on Prelude, responsible for process control and monitoring technologies that will help Shell operate the FLNG vessel safely and efficiently.
Under the new multi-year support contract, Emerson staff working both onshore and offshore will provide ongoing reliability and maintenance services for an even broader range of equipment.
Emerson and its local business partner, Western Process Controls, will provide equipment monitoring, diagnostic services, spares support, and maintenance for the facility's control and safety systems, as well as thousands of instruments and valves.
Two Emerson engineers onboard Prelude will work with other team members who will remotely monitor the facility's automation from Shell's operations centre in central Perth.
The centre's high-tech collaborative work environment will also enable the Emerson team to consult with Shell specialists as they use a proactive maintenance strategy to detect potential concerns, identify corrective actions, and arrange for delivery of any required equipment to the facility.
Prelude, which is the world's largest floating facility and is undergoing the final steps in its construction in Geoje, South Korea, is expected to move to Australia by early next year.
Sensibly, Shell has not disclosed a timetable for its world-leading development, but in the past few months has started appointing contractors to help with the operations phase, suggesting the window to first production is narrowing.
Prelude, which is the size of six aircraft carriers, is expected to remain on station at least 25 years as Shell and its partners develop gas reserves in the Prelude and Concerto fields, some 475km from shore in 240m of water.
Prelude, which is owned by Shell (67.5%), Inpex (17.5%), Korea Gas (10%) and Taiwan's CPC Corporation (5%), will produce 3.6MMtpa, 1.3MMtpa of condensate and 400,000tpa of LPG.
