An increasing amount of the world's unexploited natural gas resources are located offshore, far from existing infrastructure and the markets. New or improved methods for production and transport are needed to make these resources economically attractive.

There are several drivers for taking LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) technologies offshore. The main objective is to convert natural gas into a product convenient for transportation over long distances, enabling production of gas resources far from the high-end markets. Other aspects are lack of onshore infrastructure or sites for plant location. A floating unit will not require costly onsite construction; it can be built in a ship yard and sail to the production location. It will also be possible to move the floating production unit to a new location when a field is shut down.

Innovative concepts for floating production of LNG or GTL have turned up frequently during the last 25 years, but no concepts have yet been commercialised. We are working on several projects aiming at reducing the technical and commercial risks associated with remote gas production and transportation.