This is a continuation
of a series of articles that tackles different engineering achievement, from
world’s tallest building, longest bridge, biggest building, and the likes. Now
let’s talk about the world’s largest vessel.
Before going on to the discussion bout the world’s
largest vessel, let’s define first “vessel”, “barge”, and a “ship”. A vessel is
a craft, especially one larger than a rowboat, designed to navigate on water. A
ship is a vessel of considerable size for deep-water navigation. While barge a
vessel, usually flat-bottomed and with or without its own power, used for
transporting freight, especially on canals.
We defined those 3 so that we will not be confused
with their meaning (if ever you’re confused). So let’s now continue.
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| Prelude |
This one is longer than the height of Empire State
Building; its storage tanks have a capacity equivalent to 175 Olympic-size
swimming pools. It was designed to endure a category-five typhoon, and will be
in service for around 25 years. The South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy
Industries floated “Prelude” the partially 1, 601-feet long and 600, 000-ton
vessel off the southern shipyard in Geoje on November 30, 2013. It’s a floating
liquefied natural gas (FLNG) platform, commissioned by the Dutch energy company
Shell, the facility is due to be delivered by September 2016.
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| Prelude |
Prelude would operate in a remote basin around 475
kilometers (295 miles) northeast of Broome, a town in Western Australia to tap
offshore gas. It is 74 meters wide and 11 meters high, and it is expected to
produce 3.6 million tons a year (mtpa) of LNG, and 5.3 mtpa of liquids and
other hydrocarbons. As for comparison, Shell’s US-based rival Chevron, leads
the development of “Gorgon” a lan-based producing plant. Gorgon is expected to
produce 15.6 mtpa when it is done in early 2015. But Gorgon is more expensive
than Prelude, the former is estimated to cost around $US 52B while the latter
is estimated on $US 12B.
Prelude can produce enough gas to supply a city the
size of Hong Kong. It is not yet finished but Shell’s technicians are already
designing a larger and tougher vessel than Prelude.
Sources:
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