KEY POINTS
- Saipem converted the Scarabeo 5 rig into a floating production unit for Eni’s Congo LNG project.
- The unit will process gas offshore and feed into the Nguya floating LNG facility.
- The project marks Congo’s entry into the LNG export market and supports Eni’s gas-focused strategy.
An important milestone in Eni SpA’s efforts to start the Republic of Congo’s first liquefied natural gas, LNG, project has been reached with the conversion of a decades-old drilling rig into a floating production unit by Saipem SpA.
In order to process and handle natural gas off the coast of Congo, the Scarabeo 5, a semi-submersible rig that was first constructed in Italy in the early 1990s, has been disassembled, renovated, and reconstructed. Under a contract given to Saipem in 2023, the conversion was completed in less than two years.
In the next few days, the recently constructed floating production unit (FPU) is anticipated to be transported to Congo, where it will be set up in shallow waters northwest of the Djeno Terminal. “The unit will be the central processing and control hub for the offshore portion of the Congo LNG Project, located at a depth of approximately 35 meters,” Saipem said.
Converted Rig to Feed Gas Into Congo’s LNG Chain
Following its deployment, the Scarabeo 5 will process natural gas and direct it into the Nguya floating LNG unit, a distinct facility that Eni unveiled during a sail-away ceremony earlier this week in Shanghai. The Nguya will liquefy and prepare gas for export at the Marine XII concession.
Eni’s strategy to monetize Congo’s gas resources, decrease flaring, and increase both domestic and export revenues is based on the FPU and the Nguya floating LNG facility. The project is also a part of a larger move by the Italian energy giant toward gas as a “transition fuel” that can balance decarbonization objectives with energy demand.
Repurposing the Scarabeo 5, a rig regarded as one of the best of its generation, is a practical and economical move. Eni and Saipem chose a conversion that reduces capital expenditure and timelines instead of creating a completely new platform.
