Australia's Prelude FLNG shipments resume: Update

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Cargo shipments have resumed at the 3.6mn t/yr Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) offshore Western Australia (WA), around 11 months after it went off line in February 2020 because of technical issues .

"LNG cargoes have resumed from Shell's Prelude FLNG facility," said operator Shell.

Prelude FLNG in the Browse basin has been plagued by technical issues since it started shipments in June 2019 .

The confirmation of the return of shipments follows the 148,000m³ Symphonic Breeze LNG carrier due to arrive at Prelude on 4 January. The Symphonic Breeze is scheduled to arrive at Japan's Himeji port on 16 January, after leaving Prelude on 9 January, vessel tracking data shows. The 174,000m³ Gaslog Glasgow is scheduled to arrive at Prelude on 21 January.

Prelude's restart follow a spike in northeast Asian spot LNG prices for prompt deliveries as colder than anticipated weather in northeast Asia has fuelled urgent and incremental demand for cargoes. Strong consumer winter restocking and a series of supply disruptions at various LNG production facilities including those in Australia, Malaysia, Qatar, the US and Norway have tightened supplies. Prelude's term customers include Taiwan's state-owned CPC, South Korea's state-owned Kogas and Japanese upstream firm Inpex.

The ANEA price, the Argus assessment for spot deliveries to northeast Asia, for first-half February was last assessed at $26.325/mn Btu on 8 January, up from the start of the year at $16.40/mn Btu on 4 January and from $7.87/mn Btu on 8 December.

Australia has 10 LNG projects with a nameplate capacity of 86.6mn t/yr. But it has never achieved maximum exports because of maintenance issues, including at Prelude and the 15.6mn t/yr Gorgon LNG also offshore WA. The first train at Gorgon is currently off line for repairs to propane heat exchangers , said plant operator Chevron.

By Kevin Morrison

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