RIGZONE

Prelude FLNG Loads Out First Cargo Since Fire

by Bojan Lepic| Rigzone Staff| Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Even though Shell has not confirmed any restart on its massive Prelude FLNG, Reuters reported that the Methane Becki Anne LNG tanker has begun loading.

The Methane Becki Anne was the first LNG tanker to berth at Shell’s Prelude floating LNG site off Western Australia since it was shut down after a fire.

According to Reuters, the LNG carrier vessel berthed at the Prelude plant on January 17, Refinitiv ship-tracking data showed. Refinitiv’s data also showed that LNG has already begun loading. read more

Report: Output from Shell’s Prelude FLNG Shut Again

BY Bartolomej Tomic, managing editor of Offshore Engineer.

December 22, 2022

Shell has stopped production at its Prelude floating LNG plant off Western Australia after a fire.

A Shell spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the fire at the giant FLNG unit “was rapidly extinguished.”

The 488-meter-long, Shell-operated, Prelude FLNG unit forms part of an offshore development that produces natural gas from the remote namesake field, located approximately 475 km north-northeast of Broome in Western Australia. The Prelude is the world’s largest FLNG unit. read more

abc.net.au

Shell, unions reach agreement in Prelude gas facility industrial dispute

ABC Kimberley / By Taylor Thompson-Fuller

Key points:

• The industrial action began in early June

• It resulted in Shell stopping shipments and suspending activity aboard

• Shell and unions say they are happy to have finally reached an agreement

Industrial action aboard Shell’s floating LNG facility Prelude is set to come to an end after unions and the company reached an in-principle enterprise agreement for workers.

The industrial action, which began in early June, led to Shell putting a halt to shipments leaving the facility 400 kilometres off the Kimberley coast and a shutdown in production amid soaring gas prices. read more

THE TIMES

Shell strike extension to compound energy crisis

Emily Gosden: Energy Editor

Shell Postpones Prelude LNG Turnaround Until Next Year

Shell plc SHEL recently stated that it is deferring the planned maintenance work at the Prelude floating liquefied natural gas facility, which was due to begin in September. The postponement came following the continued industrial action at the site situated off northwest Australia.

A Shell spokesperson mentioned in emailed comments, “As a result of the ongoing Protected Industrial Action and inability to complete preparation work, we are not able to proceed with the planned turnaround at this time.” read more

The Biggest of the Biggest: Prelude FLNG, the Largest Floating Edifice of All Time

A project of oil and gas giant Shell, the Prelude is simultaneously a stellar engineering achievement and a financial black hole.

13 Aug 2022, 16:11 UTC: by Razvan Calin

Over 530 yards long, 80 yards wide, more than 300 feet tall, and 660,000 tones heavy. The largest floating structure the world has ever put out to see is the Prelude offshore natural gas facility. Completed in under five years, the colossal ship-looking titan is made to work a quarter of a century in rough South Pacific waters. read more

The Sydney Morning Herald

Shell Prelude’s two-month $500m strike delays major maintenance

By Peter Milne: August 9, 2022

Shell has delayed major maintenance on its troubled Prelude floating gas facility after negotiations over the weekend failed to end two months of industrial action.

The delay is another setback for Shell, which spent about $US17 billion ($24 billion) to build the world’s largest vessel that has suffered a multitude of production outages and serious safety issues since it arrived in West Australian waters five years ago. read more

abc.net.au

Shell drops plans to lock out Prelude workers from Western Australian offshore gas facility

ABC Kimberley / By Taylor Thompson-Fuller

Key points:

• The company blamed a lack of assurance from unions that safety functions would be carried out

• Union representatives said the claims were a “red herring” and they would not endanger safety of workers at the rig

• Industrial negotiations proposed via mediation ground to a halt

Shell has scrapped plans to lock workers out of its multi-billion dollar offshore gas facility, Prelude, citing safety concerns.

Workers onboard the facility 400 kilometres off Western Australia’s Kimberley coast are engaged in protected industrial action in a bid to push for better wages.

The Anglo-Dutch energy giant shut down the facility and suspended production in response to strikes earlier this month. read more

Shell to enforce lockout on Prelude as industrial dispute escalates

Sean Smith: The West Australian: Wed, 20 July 2022 9:57AM

The dispute over a new pay deal on Shell’s Prelude floating LNG plant off north-west WA has escalated again, with the energy giant flagging it will lock out workers from Monday.

The decision means those workers who are not on Prelude but support the protected industrial action by the Offshore Alliance will not be paid.

Those still on Prelude will only be paid for the time they work outside industrial stoppages. read more

Shell (SHEL) to Shut Prelude FLNG Over Industrial Dispute

Shell plc SHEL announced that it would not be able to supply liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) cargoes from its Prelude facility to its customers as the company would completely shut down its Prelude FLNG vessel, offshore Western Australia, due to unions’ escalating industrial action, which has now been extended to Jul 21.

The Offshore Alliance, which is made up of 150 union members earning more than $200,000 a year, told Shell that the workers intended to ban mooring tankers, alongside the vessel, as part of their protected action this week. The ban will disallow SHEL from unloading LNG and LPG from its storage tanks, which are anticipated to reach full capacity going forward. read more

abc.net.au

Shell halts production on floating gas platform Prelude amid worsening industrial dispute

ABC Kimberley / By Taylor Thompson-Fuller: 12  July 2022

Key points:

• The energy giant is locked in an increasingly bitter industrial dispute with its workforce, which has disrupted production in recent weeks

• A proposed enterprise agreement was rejected by 95 per cent of workers last week

• Even though Prelude only supplies the export market, an energy expert says the move could drive gas prices even higher

Agreement ‘substandard’, union says

The disagreement over wages has seen union members ban the performance of certain tasks onboard, including a stoppage on unloading cargo onto ships for delivery at certain times.

A Shell spokesperson said production at the facility had been suspended due to the “work bans currently in force under Protected Industrial Action … that prohibit offtake activities”.

“Until the bans on the offtake of cargoes are lifted and the plant can be safely restarted, staff required to perform safety-critical functions will remain on board while all other workers will be demobilised,” the spokesperson said. read more

REUTERS

Shell ships LNG from Australia’s Prelude despite staff stoppages

MELBOURNE, July 8 (Reuters) – Shell SHEL.L said on Friday it had loaded and shipped a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this week at its Prelude floating LNG facility after workers scaled down industrial action at the site off northwestern Australia.

The oil and gas giant slowed output at the 3.6-million tonne per year facility last week during a series of work stoppages by unions fighting for better pay and had warned that shipments would be disrupted for at least two weeks. read more

Shell boosts oil and gas asset value as refining soars

REUTERS PUBLISHED THU, JUL 7 20223:26 AM EDT

Shell said on Thursday said it would reverse up to $4.5 billion in writedowns on oil and gas assets after it raised its energy prices outlook following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In an update before second quarter results on July 28, Shell said its refining margins almost tripled over the period, boosted by recovering global demand from the pandemic, a lack of refining capacity and lower fuel exports from Russia.

Earnings from oil and refined products trading were expected to be strong in the quarter but lower than the first quarter of 2022, Shell said.

Shell’s indicative refining margin rose in the second quarter to $28.04 per barrel from $10.23 a barrel in the first quarter and $4.17 a year earlier.

Oil and gas prices remained elevated in the quarter, with benchmark Brent crude averaging about $114 a barrel.

“In the second quarter 2022, Shell has revised its mid and long-term oil and gas commodity prices reflecting the current macroeconomic environment as well as updated energy market demand and supply fundamentals,” it said.

Shell increased its assumed price for Brent to $80 a barrel in 2023, up from $60 in its 2021 annual report. read more

yahoo!finance

Putin Swoop on Gas Plant Risks Forcing Foreign Partners Out

Stephen Stapczynski and Garfield Reynolds

Fri, July 1, 2022, 10:04 a.m.

(Bloomberg) — President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to transfer rights to the Sakhalin-2 natural gas project to a new Russian company, a move that could force foreign owners including Shell Plc to abandon their investment in the facility.

The decree cites threats to Russia’s national interests and economic security, according to a statement dated June 30, issued by the Kremlin and signed by Putin. Stakeholders have one month to say whether they’ll take a holding in the new company, and those who opt out may not be fully compensated, the statement said.

The move could prove complicated for Shell, which holds a 27.5% stake in the liquefied natural gas facility in Russia’s far east. The energy giant announced it would exit the project after Russia invaded Ukraine, and also said it wouldn’t commit to any new investments in the country.

Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden said earlier this week that Shell is making progress selling its stake, which Wood Mackenzie estimates is worth $4.1 billion. China’s key state-run energy companies are in talks with Shell to buy its stake in the project, people familiar with the details said in April.

Shell is aware of the decree and is assessing its implications, the company said in a statement.

The world is already grappling with surging fuel prices as Putin steps up the use of gas as a weapon, and any effort by Moscow to take over energy assets could rile markets further. Most western energy firms are trying leave Russian projects, but are struggling to find willing buyers. read more

CITYA.M.

Kremlin orders seizure of gas facility which Shell has 27 per cent stake in worth £3.4bn

JACK MENDEL

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has ordered the seizure of a gas facility in the county which UK firm Shell has a 27 per cent stake in.

The Kremlin signed a decree to take control of rights of the Sakhalin-2 plant, which will be transferred into Russian hands.

This comes as Moscow continues to come under severe economic pressure with sanctions, while countries including the UK, Germany and other EU states have been urged to stop buying fuel from Russia, amid its war against Ukraine. read more

BBC News

Russia moves to take control of Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project

1 JULY 2022

Russia has moved to take over a major oil and gas project in which Shell has a 27.5% stake.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday to take charge of the Sakhalin-2 project.

The move could force Shell and Japan’s Mitsui and Mitsubishi to abandon their investments as the economic fallout of the Ukraine war spreads.

Oil giant Shell said: “We are aware of the decree and are assessing its implications.” read more