Title: Construction starts at world's first FLNG project
Duration: 4:04 minutes
Description:
Construction starts at world's first FLNG project
At sites in South Korea, France and Australia, preparations are made for a major technological advance
in LNG production.
Construction starts at world's first FLNG project Transcript
[Video footage]
Sunrise over a bay.
[Narration]
Geoje, South Korea.
[Video footage]
Traffic police officer blows whistle
Workers on motorcycles and bicycles
Workers doing morning tai chi-like exercises
[Narration]
As the sun rises, nearly 30,000 workers prepare to start their day at one of the biggest shipyards in the
world.
[Video footage]
Long shot of shipyard
A cluster of workers chant and clap to start the day
[Narration]
For many of them, this is special. They’re creating history, in a world first project that will change the
energy industry.
[Video footage]
Various scenes of shipyard workers at work with large machinery.
Worker in protective clothing working with welding equipment.
Large machine moves across factory.
Interview with Rob Kretzers
[Title]
Executive Vice President, Projects
[Rob Kretzers]
It’s pretty courageous what we do here, but that’s how you push the boundary.
[Video footage]
Welder at work. Robe talking with large machinery in background.
[Rob Kretzers]
If we fail, which we will not, yes, then, you know, your reputation is at stake.
[Video footage]
Long shot of shipyard
[Background music plays]
Diligent working music
[Narration]
Shell calls this the Prelude Project, a complicated blend of technology and engineering. It’s being built
and designed in no fewer than ten countries.
[Video footage]
Individual shipworkers at work.
Large crane at work in fast motion.
Steam being emitted from machinery.
Large machinery being lifted by crane.
[Narration]
Before a single piece of steel was cut here in Geoje, there was already over four and a half million
hours spend in development.
[Video footage]
Individual shipworkers at work.
Design software being used on a computer screen.
[Narration]
In Paris, engineer James Nafraicheur is just one of hundreds working to make the plans a reality.
[Video footage]
Long shots of cityscape, Paris, France.
James Nafraicheur at work at his desk with design software.
Interview with James Nafraicheur
[Title]
Lead Piping and Layout Engineer
[James Nafraicheur]
The really cool thing about what we’re doing is designing something that we’ve never, never built
before, and putting a cryogenic liquefaction plant in the middle of the ocean.
[Video footage]
Design software being used on a computer screen.
Workers wearing protective clothing hooking up pipes.
[Narration]
It’s an immense challenge, but Prelude is set to be a game changer. Put simply, it will be the largest
structure ever sent to sea.
[Video footage]
Korean shipyard workers at work. Worker pointing to something. Exterior shot of scaffolding around
Prelude.
[Narration]
So big it will contain enough steel to build the equivalent of 35 Eiffel towers.
[Video footage]
Component parts of the Prelude project being assembled.
Interview with Nikolle Rodgers
[Nikolle Rodgers]
All these blocks will become gigablocks.
[Background music plays]
More upbeat, active music.
Interview with Steve Burles
[Title]
Prelude Construction HSSE Advisor
[Steve Burles]
Think of it as Lego. Lots of these blocks being put together, it’s absolutely huge.
[Video footage]
Component parts of the Prelude project being assembled
[Title]
Project Planning Engineer
[Nikolle Rodgers]
Every day there are so many more whole blocks everywhere, it’s magnificent.
[Narration]
The sheer scale and ingenuity of this structure is dwarfed only by its uniqueness. In a revolutionary
approach, instead of piping natural gas to land, Shell will be taking an entire gas plant to sea.
[Animated sequence]
Animated sequence of the Prelude project, showing the floating gas plant on the surface of the ocean
with operations on the sea floor.
[Narration]
Frank Groen and Chris McDermott are just two of the 150 staff that will live and work on board the
facility during normal operations.
[Video footage]
Frank and Chris inspect component parts of the Prelude project being assembled
Interview with Chris McDermott
[Title]
Operations Readiness Supervisor
[Chris McDermott]
They’re telling us that it’s going to be like a motel, but, you know, it’s yet to see.
[Background music plays]
Upbeat electronic music
[Narration]
But this will be no holiday. Prelude’s destination, 200 kilometers off the North West coast of Australia,
is right in the middle of cyclone alley.
[Animated sequence]
Zoom in on satellite photograph of section of Western Australian coast showing Broome and the
location of Prelude gas field.
[Video footage]
Stormy seas with pounding waves.
Interview with Frank Groen
[Title]
Operations Production Co-ordinator
[Frank Groen]
This thing is built for cyclonic conditions, so it’ll be fine, but it’s a big facility, you know, it’s going to be
quite interesting to be out there with a cat five cyclone going over the top.
[Video footage]
James Nafraicheur in Paris working on design software
[Narration]
So engineers have designed an anchoring system on a scale that has never been attempted before.
[Animated sequence]
Animated sequence showing how the sea floor operations connect to the carrier.
[Narration]
Gas from the field enters the vessel through the turret, which is held in place by four groups of
mooring lines. The facility can then rotate around the turret, responding to the ocean’s movements,
no matter what the conditions.
Interview with Willie Gray
[Title]
Substructure Manager
[Willie Gray]
During a cyclone, with a more than 20 meter sea height, the vessel remains on station, and will remain
with the main complement of personnel on board. So there’s a lot riding on us to get it right.
[Video footage]
Satellite image of a cyclone
Korean shipyard workers at work
[Rob Kretzers]
We just cannot afford any incident when we are offshore. It’s too far away, it has too big
consequences. So what leaves here needs to be of top quality, and otherwise it will not leave here.
[Background music plays]
Stirring music
[Narration]
The obstacles are substantial, but so are the rewards. Each year, Prelude will produce enough liquid
natural gas to meet the needs of a city the size of Hong Kong.
[Video footage]
Korean shipyard workers at work.
[Narration]
And the prize of doing this from places never before thought viable is seen as crucial to the world’s
energy future.
[Video footage]
Korean shipyard workers at work
Nikolle walks through the shipyard
[Nikolle Rodgers]
I'm really excited, it is a huge responsibility I must say, but it’s a great feeling to be part of this.
[Text display]
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© Shell International 2013