Manning
- Workforce: Peaked at 800 employees
- Total manhours 284,500
- Zero Lost Time Incidents (LTI)
Project Overview
The Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility, operated by Shell, is located 155 nautical miles off the North West coast of Australia. It represents the largest floating vessel ever built, measuring 488 meters in length and 74 meters in width. The facility produces LNG, LPG, and condensate and is moored in 248 meters of water using 16 anchor piles and chains. The Prelude FLNG is fully equipped for gas processing, storage, and loading and has a unique turret system allowing it to rotate 360 degrees to adapt to weather conditions.
Altrad provided specialised insulation installation services to support the offshore hook-up and commissioning phases of this landmark project. Services provided included:
- Cold, hot, polypropylene (pp) and foam insulation application.
- Installation of removable jackets for heat and passive fire protection (PFP).
- Flange spray protection and vapor line repair.
- Rope access and ultra-high-pressure water (UHPW) surface cleaning.
- Coatings for hull repairs
- Fabrication work.
Outcomes
- Fabricated 1,535 thermal flange/valve boxes and installed 1,756.
- Fabricated and installed 1,048 cryogenic flange/valve boxes (with foam injection).
- Established an innovative ice-catching and condensate drainage system to address operational hazards.
- Trained 360 local operators in cryogenic insulation at a custom-built training school for Korean workers.
- Delivered key milestones on schedule with no Lost Time Incidents (LTI), ensuring outstanding safety performance.
- Demonstrated expertise in rope access techniques, integrating UHP robotics with coatings to enhance efficiency.
- Maintained a fabrication workshop in Darwin to support the project’s needs.
