Empty carrier comes alongside Coral FLNG again

The 173,600m³ British Sponsor again came alongside Mozambique's 3.4mn t/yr Coral floating liquefaction (FLNG) facility today, suggesting the facility may be about to load its first cargo.

The empty vessel similarly lined up next to the FLNG unit on 23 October, but it then cast off and was in a holding pattern near the facility before reapproaching early today, vessel tracking data show. It first arrived close to Coral FLNG on 16 October.

Coral FLNG began receiving gas earlier this year and has been readying to load its first cargo in recent months. BP is expected to receive LNG from the facility under a long-term agreement, and owns the British Sponsor.

The same-sized British Listener - also owned by BP - was previously heading for Mozambique before changing its destination on 13 October to Oman's Qalhat liquefaction terminal. The carrier remained in the Arabian Sea for several weeks, suggesting it could have been waiting to return to Coral before loading at Qalhat on 8 November.

But another BP vessel - 173,600m³ British Contributor - has also been heading for Coral in the past few days, declaring for arrival on 14 November.

By Ellie Holbrook