Drydocks World, Dubai-based maritime service provider, has commenced the delivery of the pioneering Prelude FLNG Turret Modules for the world's first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project, being built by Shell.

The first module, the bogie support structure, standing 22 m high, with a diameter of 30 m and weighing 1,300 tonnes will be transported to Korea and the Prelude FLNG vessel and other modules will follow soon, said a statement.

The Prelude FLNG unit will be 488-metres long and when fully loaded will weigh more than 600,000 tonnes. It will be the largest structure ever sent to sea displacing as much water as a fleet of six aircraft carriers, it said.

The vessel is to work at the Prelude offshore field 200 km from the Australian coast. The turret is being built in five modules which when put together will weigh in at 10,500 tonnes.

The nearly 100-metre mooring turret is a vital element of the vessel and along with four groups of mooring chains and suction pile anchors will constitute the largest system in the world and help the vessel to remain stable in high velocity tropical cyclone territory.

Drydocks World has extensive experience in building turret structures having built the internal turret for SBM Frade project, two external turrets for Saipem (installed on board FRSU Toscana and FPSO Firenze) and a smaller internal turret for BW Offshore. - TradeArabia News Service