Aberdeen-based energy services firm Wood has been appointed to support a liquefied natural gas (LNG) platform development in the West Delta area of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Honghua Group has awarded the company a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract worth over £9 million to finalise the design of the world's first offshore platform-based natural gas liquefaction and storage facility.

Having previously completed the pre-FEED for the project, Wood's scope of work includes the onshore gas pre-treatment plant configuration and layouts, general utilities, feed gas processing and compression, and transportation and delivery via repurposed pipelines from the existing onshore Toca and Venice, Louisiana, facilities to the LNG facility 10 miles offshore.

-- Advertisement --

In addition, the firm will compile and develop the necessary technical documentation for a Deep Water Port (DWP) permit application to United States Maritime Administration (MARAD). This includes designing onshore, pipelines and offshore elements of the facility in sufficient detail to satisfy the MARAD.

Wood will update and complete the preliminary design of the full offshore gas liquefaction facility, which is designed to produce up to 4.2 million tonnes per year of LNG and to store 300,000 cubic meters of LNG.

Once finished around 2020, the scheme will transport gas from the Texas Permian Basin to the offshore platform where it will be liquefied, stored and exported globally.

Andrew Stewart, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Wood's Asset Solutions Americas business, said: "We are very excited to be a part of this ingenious project. Our ability to provide innovative engineering design solutions highlights our global success in working with international partners. Wood's best-in-class planning, execution and delivery performance helps to assure our clients their projects will be successful."

(LM/MH)