(ARENDAL, NORWAY — September 18, 2007) Advanced Production and Loading of Arendal, Norway has been awarded a $60 million contract for design, engineering and supply of an offshore buoy system for Neptune LNC L.L.C., a subsidiary of Suez LNG N.A. of Houston, Texas. Final delivery of the buoy system is expected by May 2009.
The Neptune deepwater port facility is to be located about 13 miles off the coast of Gloucester, Mass. and has already received permits from the state of Massachusetts and the U.S. Maritime Administration.
This is Advanced Production and Loading’s (APL) third order for an offshore buoy system in the United States, according to a Sept. 18 press release from BW Offshore, APL’s parent company.
Final delivery of APL’s submerged turret loading buoy system is expected to take place in May 2009. The Neptune port uses specially designed LNG ships that can store, transport and vaporize LNG in natural gas and send it to customers onshore via a sub-sea pipeline.
The LNG re-gasification vessels will be moored at the proposed Neptune deepwater port using the submerged turret buoy system, which consists of two buoys. Typically, an LNG ship will be moored for four to eight days at the buoy while regassifying its LNG cargo.
Another deepwater port, built by Excelerate Energy L.L.C. of Woodlands, Texas, would be located seven miles offshore of Gloucester. If both facilities were built, it would increase New England’s gas supply by 20 percent.
