Shell has awarded DOF Subsea a five-year contract with 2x two-year options to provide a full-time underwater services and multi-purpose supply vessel (MPSV) to the Prelude floating LNG vessel.

Prelude FLNG, the largest floating facility ever built, will produce, liquefy, store and transfer LNG at sea. The facility will be located in the Browse Basin, offshore Western Australia.

Under the awarded IMR contract (Inspection, Maintenance and Repair), DOF Subsea will provide project management, engineering and integrated services for IMR programs as well as the dedicated vessel and options for other vessels.

In a statement CEO Mons Aase, said, “This is a very important contract award for DOF Subsea, and the award further strengthens DOF Subsea’s position in the global subsea IMR market. We look forward to working with Shell Australia on the world leading Prelude FLNG facility.”

The FLNG vessel is being built in South Korea and it will measure 488 meters from bow to stern and will weigh around 600,000 tons when fully loaded. It will contain 260,000 tons of steel, and its deck area will be longer than four football fields.

Once delivered, the facility will be towed to its location, some 475 kilometers north-east of Broome, Western Australia, to the namesake gas field. It will then be moored and connected to the undersea infrastructure and the whole production system commissioned.

Recently, a fire outbreak incident occurred at a construction site of Shell’s Prelude. As a result of the incident, two people received medical treatment for minor smoke inhalation, but the incident did not impact the project’s schedule.