South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and its engineering partner Technip are targeting a June delivery for Shell's massive $12bn-plus floating LNG (FLNG) unit Prelude FLNG, opening the way for the huge floater's departure to Australia.

Those working closely on the on the 600,000-tonne LNG floater say once handover from the yard is confirmed it is then up to Shell to decide when the huge unit will be moved out but add that a tentative date of 19 July has been pencilled in for the complex towage operation to get underway.