FLNG—a quiet revolution
Shell and Petronas pushed the technology first, but African developers are poised to transform the continent into an FLNG production hub
The time has come to find out if liquefaction for floating liquefied natural gas is all it's cracked up to be. Several high-profile projects are in development—and one of the principal test beds will be sub-Saharan Africa, now a magnet for investment in the fledgling sector. Two of the world's first major FLNG projects are elsewhere—Petronas's PFLNG Satu facility, capable of processing 1.2m tonnes a year, is already operating in Malaysia, and Shell's giant 3.6m-t/y Prelude project should start production offshore Western Australia next year. But around 30% of global capital expenditure on FLNG over the next six years is planned for projects operating in Africa. Engineers are confident the te
Also in this section
10 March 2026
From Venezuela to Hormuz, the US—backed by the most powerful military force ever assembled—is redrawing not only oil and gas flows but also the global balance of energy power
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
