OREANDA-NEWS. On July 05, 2007 a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has arrived at Prigorodnoye in the south of Sakhalin Island, where Sakhalin Energy is currently building Russia’s first LNG plant, reported the press-centre of Sakhalin Energy.

It is the first of two shipments to be used in the initial commissioning and testing of the LNG plant. The LNG will be regasified and the gas fed into the system to progressively cool down and commission various parts of the process. Using imported gas in this way saves time as it allows the commissioning of the LNG plant to take place in parallel with the final construction stages of other elements of the Sakhalin II Phase 2 project.

The plant’s start-up and commissioning process consists of a phased sequence of system tests, which is crucial for bringing the plant into year-round operation. The LNG cargo of approximately 135 thousand cubic metres was obtained from an LNG plant in Bontang, Indonesia, and brought to Sakhalin by the LNG carrier Granosa. Granosa, which is managed by Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Ltd, is one of only 232 ships in the world capable of carrying LNG which is maintained at minus 161 degrees Celsius throughout the journey.

With Granosa safely moored alongside the Prigorodnoye LNG jetty, its cargo of liquefied natural gas will be used to slowly cool the offloading facility and LNG storage tanks, displacing the inert nitrogen which blankets the system at the moment. The gas will then be used in start-up and commissioning of the flare system, gas turbine generators, vapour gas compressors and other major process equipment of the LNG plant.

According to Frank van Wijk, who is in charge of start-up and commissioning operations at the plant, “Granosa’s arrival at the LNG jetty is a major milestone for the Sakhalin II Project. It signifies that the end of the construction phase is drawing near and we are beginning the transition to operations. This is a key step towards first LNG export in 2008.”