Saipem completes FPU conversion for Eni’s Congo LNG project

MILAN, August 27, 2025 – Saipem has completed the conversion of its Scarabeo 5 semi-submersible drilling unit into an FPU for Eni’s Congo LNG project offshore Congo, Saipem announced on Tuesday.

The FPU will be deployed northwest of the Djeno Terminal, offshore the Republic of Congo, at a depth of approximately 35 metres. There, it will receive production fluids from wellhead riser platforms and separate gas from liquids to feed the nearby Nguya FLNG. The FPU will also serve as the central control hub for Eni’s offshore development operations.

Scarabeo 5 was built in Italy in the late 1990s. Saipem was awarded the contract, covering EPC, transportation and commissioning, for the FPU conversion in August 2023.

In parallel, Eni celebrated on Tuesday the sail away ceremony for Nguya FLNG in Shanghai. The vessel will kick off the second development phase of the Congo LNG project upon its expected arrival at the site by the end of 2025. It will join the operational Tango FLNG, which has been in production since December 2023 and exported its first cargo in February 2024, with a total of 12 LNG cargoes exported to date.

Congo LNG is the country’s first natural gas liquefaction project. It is projected to reach a total LNG production capacity of 3 million tonnes per year by the end of 2025.

Photo of Scarabeo 5 courtesy of Saipem

Read our latest insights on: