Lloyd’s Register supports LNG carrier conversion for Gabon FSU project

Lloyd’s Register (LR) is providing classification and technical assurance services for the conversion of the LNG carrier LNG Bayelsa into a floating storage unit (FSU) for Dixstone Lower Gulf FZCO, a sister company of Perenco. The vessel, currently operating under the temporary name FSU LNG Cap Lopez, is undergoing conversion at Drydocks World Dubai and will support an offshore gas development in Gabon once the work is complete.

The project will see the vessel repurposed to provide LNG storage for a near-shore liquefaction, storage and export scheme. According to the companies involved, the facility is intended to reduce routine gas flaring while improving energy efficiency and supporting the development of Gabon's natural gas resources.

Conversion work includes steel renewals and structural modifications, installation of new piping systems, integration of a boil-off gas module and a range of life-extension measures. LR is providing plan approval, surveys, classification services and technical oversight throughout the project to verify compliance with safety, structural and regulatory requirements.

“The FSU LNG Cap Lopez conversion reflects increasing momentum behind LNG carrier conversions and floating storage solutions as operators seek flexible, lower-impact ways to develop gas resources,” said Sean Van der Post, global offshore business director at LR. “Independent technical assurance and robust life-extension strategies are essential as assets are adapted to new operating profiles and environments.”

Michel Gotab, managing director of Dixstone Lower Gulf, said the vessel would form part of the wider Cap Lopez gas infrastructure project, describing it as “an integral part of the broader Cap Lopez project, a new gas backbone for Gabon for both local use and export.”