Sakhalin Energy, the operator of Russia’s Sakhalin-2 LNG export plant, said it has completed the previously announced maintenance turnaround at the Piltun-Astokhskaya-B offshore oil and gas production platform.
The firm said in a statement on Monday the works included annual cleaning of internal multiphase flow separation vessels, repair of produced water filters, and maintenance of two gas compressors with inspection of gear box at one of them.
The platform, located about 12 km offshore north-eastern Sakhalin, was the first of the Sakhalin-2 LNG production assets to close for maintenance this year.
Sakhalin Energy said it plans the largest integrated gas system shutdown in the history of the Sakhalin-2 project in summer this year.
Sakhalin Energy’s shareholders include operator Gazprom, major partner Shell, and Japan’s Mitsui and Co., and Mitsubishi Corporation.
The Sakhalin-2 LNG facility produced and shipped record 11.6 million tonnes of LNG last year. This is equivalent to 178.6 standard cargoes.
It started producing LNG back in 2009 with an design capacity of 9.6 mtpa, but due to technical improvements and upgrades, together with weather and temperature conditions, production rose by 20 percent.
Most of these volumes land in Japan, followed by South Korea, Taiwan, and China.