Lloyd’s Register to support LNG carrier conversion for Gabon gas project

Lloyd’s Register has secured a contract to provide classification and technical assurance for the conversion of an LNG carrier into a floating storage unit (FSU) for an offshore gas project in Gabon. The vessel, formerly known as the LNG Bayelsa and temporarily named FSU LNG Cap Lopez, is currently undergoing conversion at Drydocks World Dubai.

The project is being managed for Dixstone Lower Gulf FZCO, a unit of the London-based energy firm Perenco. Once the conversion is complete, the FSU will support liquefaction, storage, and export from a near-shore barge. The initiative aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce routine gas flaring.

Technical work includes extensive steel renewals, new piping systems, and the installation of a boil-off gas module. The first phase of the Gabon project is expected to produce 0.7 mtpa of LNG and 25,000 tons of LPG per year.