The plant ranks amongst the biggest and top performers worldwide; its performance is regularly benchmarked internationally with other LNG plants around the world.
The plant has rapidly and successfully made the transition from a construction project to a stable production operation, with a robust framework of people, processes, systems and organisation, as well as relentless focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement. In addition to regular maintenance of the assets to assure integrity and reliability, opportunities are continuously sought to debottleneck the plant, incorporating proven techniques and processes to maximise production and manage human interferences and impacts. The plant has also embarked on a structured programme of asset rejuvenation to extend the plant life beyond the current design life. All these activities are underpinned by a Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) culture that continually seeks improvements in the safe and sustainable utilisation of our assets.
For NLNG, November 1995 will remain a remarkable month in its corporate history. That was when the Final Investment Decision (FID) was taken by the shareholders to build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Finima, Bonny Island in Rivers State. This was followed in December 1995 by the award of a turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract to a consortium of engineering firms, TSKJ, comprised of Technip, Snamprogetti, M.W. Kellog and Japan Gas Corporation for the Plant (consisting of two trains—Trains 1 and 2, called the Base Project), the Gas Transmission System (GTS) and the Residential Area (RA).
Construction at the Plant site commenced in February 1996 and on August 12, 1999, Train 2 was ready for startup. Production of LNG commenced on September 15. Train 1 subsequently came on stream on February 27, 2000. The second phase of development, called Expansion Project, commenced with an FID in February 1999 to develop Train 3 and the Plant's Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) Handling Unit (LHU)—condensate stabilisation and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) production units. The expansion project was completed and came into operation in November 2002.
The next phase of development called the NLNGPlus Project, comprised of Trains 4 and 5, commenced with an FID in March 2002. Train 4 came on stream in November 2005 and Train 5 was started up in February 2006. NLNGSix Project, consisting of Train 6 and additional condensate processing, LPG storage and jetty facilities, commenced with an FID in 2004. Train 6 became operational in December 2007.
With six trains currently operational, the entire complex is capable of producing 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG, and 5mtpa of NGLs from 3.5 Billion (standard) cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas intake.
Plans for building Train 7 which will lift the total production capacity to 30mtpa of LNG are currently progressing. FID for the 8mtpa train was taken in December 2019, paving the way for the award of Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contracts to SCD JV Consortium in May 2020. Find out more about Train 7 Project.
