Saipem cheers first gas milestone on rig-turned-FPU at Eni’s African project

Italy’s engineering, drilling, and construction services giant Saipem has confirmed the achievement of first gas at an asset that was recently converted from a semi-submersible drilling rig into a floating production unit (FPU) deployed at Eni’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) project off the coast of Congo, Africa.

While corroborating the introduction of first gas on Scarabeo 5, which forms part of Congo LNG, the country’s first natural gas liquefaction project, Saipem emphasized the milestone was reached ahead of schedule.

“With this achievement, Phase 2 of Eni’s Congo LNG project is officially underway, targeting the export of the first LNG cargo in early 2026. This major milestone highlights our fast-track execution capabilities and our distinctive approach, which has enabled us to significantly reduce project time to market,” added the Italian giant.

Saipem was in charge of engineering, procurement, construction, transportation, and commissioning of the FPU and CIMC Raffles was