Summit's LNG terminal unlikely to resume operations before September

Summit Group's LNG Terminal is unlikely to resume operation before next month.

In a statement issued on Friday (16 August), it said assuming favourable weather and sea conditions, Summit anticipates completing the repositioning and reconnection of the Disconnectable Turret Mooring (DTM) plug by the end of August 2024 and ship-to-ship transfer ready in September 2024.

For a stronger and higher capacity crane to move the DTM, Summit has contracted 'Oriental Dragon', a Diving Support Vessel (DSV) expected to reach Moheshkhali from Singapore on August 22, it added.

Earlier, on 10 July, Summit's Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), known as LNG Terminal, had returned from Singapore to Moheshkhali, Cox's Bazar after repair of its ballast water tank that was damaged during the cyclone Remal on 27 May.

On 11 July, during the preparation for mooring the FSRU with the DTM plug in the subsea landing pad, there was an unexpected entanglement and damage to the DTM buoy messenger line.

Following the mishap, 500 MMCFD gas supply from the Summit FSRU remained suspended. The other FSRU in the Bay, operated by Excelerate Energy, has 600 MMCFD and is currently at capacity.

This has led to a substantial fall in the overall gas supply as the country's total supply came down to 2600 MMCFD from 3100 MMCFD against a demand for about 4000 MMCFD.

The statement mentioned that Summit and its international partners are working tirelessly, round the clock to resume operations of the LNG Terminal while maintaining the highest safety standards.

In July 2024, MacGregor and CAN System, both Norwegian-based world-renowned maritime companies and Shelf Subsea, a Singapore-based company, were all appointed by Summit LNG Terminal Co Ltd (SLNG) to safely moor Summit's Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) by rectifying the mishap of offset Disconnectable Turret Mooring (DTM) on the subsea landing pad.

Due to adverse weather conditions at sea and almost zero underwater visibility, the damage identified by the internationally licensed subsea diving team has posed significant obstacles to rectify.

To reconnect the FSRU, the DTM plug has to be repositioned on the centre of the landing pad (located on the seafloor).

Although the Anchor Handling Tug Coral was equipped to perform this repositioning, unfortunately, it was unable to exert the force required to reposition the DTM, it said.

The FSRU of Summit LNG Terminal Co is operated by and under the Time Charter from the US company Excelerate Energy.