Shell Australia has awarded the first major support contract for the upcoming Prelude FLNG project, placing an order for the design, construction and operation of three infield support vessels (ISVs) with Perth-based company KT Maritime Services Australia.
KT Maritime Services Australia is a joint venture partnership with Dutch marine services provider KOTUG International and the Australian branch of Teekay Shipping.
The newly created entity will supply three 42-metre vessels with 100-tonne bollard pulls to assist in product offloading during the operations phase of the Prelude FLNG project and its 488-metre FPSO (also named 'Prelude').
The ISVs will operate out of the Port of Broome on a rotation, and the contract is expected to create approximately 80 local marine industry jobs.
The vessels have been specially designed to meet the Prelude FLNG facility's marine services requirements, including tanker berthing, offshore operations support, and emergency response, for a period of at least 25 years.
According to Shell Australia, the company expects to invest at least A$200 million (US$179.8 million) per year in the Australian economy in support of the project.