Construction of the Energean Power FPSO, destined for Energean's Karish field off Israel, has recently reached what has been described as a "major milestone" with the installation of the flare on the FPSO in a Singapore shipyard.

Technip Energies, created recently after TechnipFMC split in two, which is a main EPCI contractor for the Karish project, said that the installation of the 650-ton, 100-meter tall telescopic flare structure on the FPSO took place in two distinct operations at the Sembcorp Admiralty Yard in Singapore where the modules were built.

The first lifting occurred on January 14 for the fixed part of the flare (500 tons and 50 meters tall). Second lifting on February 24 was the most delicate with the successful insertion of the 155-ton, 55-meter mobile flare inside the fixed part previously installed, Technip Energies said.

Valérie Messager, Project Offshore Structure Engineer,  said: “The flare lifting operation was a success thanks to several weeks of careful preparation we undertook and tight cooperation between the teams involved. The lifting team on the crane barge also did a very good job.”

According to Technip Energies, the two-piece design is the first of its type in the world. Credit: Technip Energies

Once completed, the FPSO will be towed from Singapore to Israel via the Suez Canal, a trip that includes passing under a bridge with a 68m height clearance.

"A telescopic flare design in two parts, to be further deployed at offshore site in Israel, was the best solution for the FPSO to pass the bridge with minimal clearance," Technip Energies said.

Technip Energies said that the next important milestone is the flare deployment test to ensure the mobile part can be deployed smoothly using its pre-installed hydraulic strand jacks.

Energean holds a 100% working interest in the Karish and Tanin leases, offshore Israel, and the company is working to develop the Karish field which is expected to go online in late 2021.

A recent independent Competent Person's Report by DeGolyer and MacNaughton ("D&M") certified gross 2P reserves of 98.2 Bcm (3.5 Tcf) of gas and 99.6 million barrels ("MMbbls") of liquids across the Karish, Karish North, and Tanin fields representing approximately 729 million barrels of oil equivalent.

While Energean plans to bring online the main Karish field later this year, Covid-19 related delays with FPSO construction could push the first gas date, as well.

The company recently said that while it was it was in talks with contractors to achieve the required workforce numbers to deliver first gas around year-end, in the case that no further ramp up in the workforce is achieved, first gas could slip by between two and three months, into 1Q 2022.

The Energean Power FPSO Illustration - the vessel will be used to develop Energean's gas fields offshore Israel - Credit: Energean