An artist's impression of Shell's LNG processing ship

Royal Dutch Shell PLC has unveiled plans to build the world’s biggest ship – a 480m vessel that will house world’s first operational floating liquefied natural gas platform.

At a estimated cost of US$5 billion the 75 meter  wide ship will Displace 600,000 tonnes, carry 50,000 tonnes of equipment, and withstand “one in 10,000-year” tropical cyclones, the company stated.

Gas for the vessel will come from the Browse Basin’s Prelude field, which is thought to contain up to three trillion cubic feet of gas, and the Concerto field, about 16km away. Floating LNG is increasingly being considered as a way to commercialize stranded gas resources too small to support the construction of onshore LNG terminals and their associated pipeline infrastructure.

Shell awarded a contract to a consortium of France’s Technip SA and Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries Co. to build the floating LNG ship and has an option to order nine more over the next 15 years.

Wall Street Journal: Shell Plans US$5B Floating LNG Off W Australia