Shell’s huge $12bn-plus Prelude FLNG has arrived at its hook-up ­location off northwest Australia, with the energy major indicating it will be in production by next year.

According to data from Oslo’s Eikland Energy and iGIS/LNG, the floating LNG (FLNG) production unit arrived at its designated site 475 kilometres (295 miles) northeast of Broome on Tuesday.

The 600,000-tonne unit — the largest floating structure ever constructed — then moved 10 nautical miles in a north-north-westerly direction at around 1.6