Wison Cuts First Steel for Eni's Baleine FPSO While CIMC Raffles Advances Golar's FLNG Esperanza
Two important milestones were recently announced in the offshore floating production sector, involving projects currently under construction in China.
First Steel Cut for Baleine Phase 3 FPSO
Wison New Energies has officially commenced construction activities for the Baleine Phase 3 FPSO, destined for Eni's offshore development in Côte d'Ivoire. The project reached a key milestone on 30 August 2026 with the first steel cut for the vessel hull. The ceremony marks the start of fabrication activities following the Final Investment Decision taken earlier this year by Eni and its partners.
Wison is executing the EPCIC scope for the project. The FPSO is designed to process 90,000 barrels of oil per day, 160 MMscfd of natural gas, and 80,000 barrels of produced water per day, while providing storage capacity for approximately 1.4 million barrels of crude oil.
Once Phase 3 comes on stream, total production from the Baleine development is expected to increase to approximately 150,000 barrels of oil per day and 200 MMscfd of gas, with all gas dedicated to the domestic market in Côte d'Ivoire.
Baleine phase 3 FPSO hull steel cut ceremony at Wison New Energies shipyard. Source: Wison New Energies
Progress on Golar's FLNG Esperanza
At the same time, Golar LNG has reported continued progress on the construction of FLNG Esperanza at Yantai CIMC Raffles. According to Golar's latest quarterly update, the project remains on time and on budget.
FLNG Esperanza is Golar's next-generation MK II FLNG design with a liquefaction capacity of approximately 3.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The unit is being built to support Southern Energy's LNG export project in Argentina.
Confidence in the project was further demonstrated by Golar's recent decision to award CIMC Raffles an EPC contract for a fourth FLNG unit, also based on the MK II design. The new FLNG is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2029.
The announcements highlight ongoing activity across both the FPSO and FLNG sectors, with Chinese yards and EPC contractors continuing to play a key role in delivering major floating energy projects worldwide.
Golar Esperanza at CIMC shipyard, Yantai (China). Source: Golar
References
Golar LNG Limited. (2026, June 30). Golar LNG Ltd. interim results for the period ended June 30, 2026. https://www.golarlng.com [golarlng.com]
Golar LNG Limited. (2026, August 13). Golar LNG orders 4th FLNG unit for 2029 delivery. Nasdaq. https://www.nasdaq.com [nasdaq.com]
Oilfield Africa Review. (2026, August 31). Ivory Coast Baleine Phase 3 FPSO project kicks off with cutting of first steel. https://oilfieldafricareview.com [oilfieldaf...review.com]
Offshore Energy. (2026, August 14). Golar LNG accelerates FLNG expansion with new $2.45 billion order. https://www.offshore-energy.biz [offshore-energy.biz]
Upstream. (2026, August 31). First steel cut for Eni's West Africa FPSO. https://www.upstreamonline.com [upstreamonline.com]
Wison New Energies. (2026, July 3). Wison New Energies officially signs Baleine Phase 3 FPSO EPCIC contract. https://www.wison.com [wison.com]
