Floating LNG Production Technology Landscape 2026
Floating LNG Production Technology Landscape 2026
Floating LNG patent activity spans 20+ years, from Shell’s 2003 foundational vessel filings to NOVATEK’s 2025 Arctic GBS cluster. Excelerate, ExxonMobil, and emerging Chinese assignees define today’s IP battleground.
How Floating LNG Production Technology Has Evolved
Floating LNG (FLNG) production enables offshore liquefaction, storage, and offloading of natural gas directly at the wellhead or near coastal installations. The technology spans full FLNG vessels, floating dockside liquefaction units, gravity-based structures, and FPSO-coupled systems, eliminating the need for onshore pipeline infrastructure and fixed terminal facilities.
The dominant technical approaches in the retrieved dataset include propane-precooled and dual mixed refrigerant cycles, nitrogen expansion refrigeration cycles optimized for offshore motion tolerance, and turbo-expander-based systems. Boil-off gas (BOG) management and recycle subsystems are a persistent cross-cutting theme across all liquefaction plant designs.
Filing activity covers approximately two decades: Shell’s foundational WO 2003 filing, DPS Bristol’s isentropic expansion two-vessel scheme (2010–2011), Excelerate’s multi-jurisdiction dockside liquefaction campaign (2014–2019), and ExxonMobil’s drive system and BOG recycle work (2018–2023). The peak of activity falls between 2015 and 2022.
The most recent dominant signal is NOVATEK’s cluster of 2025 pending filings (EP, US, CA, IN) for a gravity-based structure (GBS) multi-train LNG complex designed for Arctic conditions. JGC Corporation, Jiangnan Shipbuilding, and China University of Petroleum also filed in 2024–2025, signaling continued active development in modular construction and vessel energy efficiency.
FLNG Patent Filing Trends and Jurisdictional Distribution
Filing activity peaked between 2015 and 2022, with a notable cluster of pending applications from 2024–2025 concentrated in Arctic GBS configurations and vessel energy efficiency. The US is the most represented jurisdiction with approximately 25+ records, followed by CN (~12 records) and AU (~10 records).
FLNG Patent Records by Jurisdiction (Dataset)
The US leads all jurisdictions with approximately 25 records, reflecting domestic US filers and international assignees using the US as a key validation market.
↗ Click bars to exploreFLNG Patent Filing Activity by Era (Dataset)
Filing activity accelerated sharply in the 2014–2018 scale-up period, dominated by Excelerate’s multi-jurisdiction dockside liquefaction campaign, with a renewed 2019–2025 cluster driven by ExxonMobil, JGC, and NOVATEK.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey FLNG Application Domains and Deployment Contexts
Retrieved patents address five primary deployment contexts for floating LNG production, from stranded gas monetization and associated gas recovery to Arctic ice-prone environments and LNG bunkering supply chains.
Stranded and Marginal Gas Fields
The most prominent domain across retrieved patents is monetizing gas reserves too remote or small for onshore pipeline infrastructure. Excelerate’s WO 2014 dockside liquefaction filing cites a 20% capex reduction and 25% schedule reduction versus comparable onshore LNG plant construction. DPS Bristol’s two-vessel isentropic expansion scheme and FLNG LLC’s FPSO-coupled methods are all explicitly framed around stranded gas economics.
Offshore LiquefactionAssociated Gas from Offshore Oil Production
Samsung Heavy Industries and related FPSO operators address flared or reinjected associated gas as feedstock for onboard LNG production. Samsung’s EP 2019 and AU 2020 patents cover offshore equipment for floating crude oil production combined with LNG production methods. This domain is gaining traction as regulatory pressure on gas flaring intensifies globally.
FPSO SystemsArctic and Ice-Prone Region LNG
NOVATEK’s GBS-based LNG complex is explicitly designed for Arctic conditions where conventional FLNG mooring is infeasible due to ice loads. The 2025 pending filings in EP, US, CA, and IN cover multi-GBS architectures with shared refrigerant preparation, fractionation, storage, and jetty infrastructure. A separate RU 2021 patent by Abramov covers TLP-platform-based Arctic gas processing combined with atomic-powered underwater LNG carriers using Stirling cryogenic machines.
Arctic LNGLNG Bunkering and Marine Fuel Supply
ExxonMobil’s SG 2018 patent on liquid nitrogen-based liquefaction on LNG carriers and BOG management literature for bunkering vessels reflect growing interest in floating LNG applied to marine fuel supply chains. Jiangnan Shipbuilding’s June 2025 CN pending filing covers LNG vessel cold energy utilization, routing BOG and LNG cold through heat exchangers to drive generators. These developments are driven by IMO sulfur and EEDI emissions regulations accelerating LNG as a ship fuel.
Marine FuelLeading Assignees Shaping the FLNG Patent Landscape
Innovation in this dataset is moderately concentrated: Excelerate dominates dockside floating liquefaction IP with 20+ records across nine jurisdictions, while ExxonMobil leads drive systems and BOG management with 8+ records filed 2018–2023.
Top FLNG Assignees by Filing Count
↗ Click bars to exploreExcelerate Liquefaction Solutions
Excelerate Liquefaction Solutions, LLC and Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership hold approximately 20+ records in this dataset, spanning US, WO, AU, SG, EP, IL, CN, HK, and JP jurisdictions filed between 2014 and 2019. Their patent family covers systems and methods for floating dockside liquefaction of natural gas, including onboard commissioning capability using a paired regasification vessel. The WO 2014 filing is the foundational record; related grants are active in multiple jurisdictions including US 2016, EP 2018, and AU.
United StatesExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company and ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company hold 8+ records in this dataset filed across US, WO, AU, CA, SG, and JP jurisdictions between 2018 and 2023. Key technology areas include boil-off gas recycle subsystems in natural gas liquefaction plants (AU active through 2023, CA active through 2023) and the standardized multi-shaft gas turbine D1BM concept (US 2021, AU 2021, CA 2022). Liquid nitrogen-based offshore liquefaction on LNG carriers was filed in SG in 2018.
United StatesFive Emerging Directions in Floating LNG Technology
A cluster of 2024–2025 pending applications signals the next phase of FLNG innovation, concentrated in Arctic GBS architectures, modular construction scheduling, integrated CO2 removal, vessel energy efficiency, and standardized drive machinery.
GBS Multi-Train Complexes for Arctic LNG
NOVATEK’s four pending 2025 filings (EP, US, CA, IN) represent the sharpest recent signal in this dataset. The GBS approach enables shared mixed refrigerant fractionation across multiple production lines on separate concrete structures, with cross-GBS equipment sparing — a reliability architecture not present in earlier FLNG designs. This directly addresses Arctic ice conditions that preclude conventional FLNG mooring.
FLNG Modular Construction and Build Cycle Compression
JGC Corporation’s SG filings (2021–2022) and JGC Global Co., Ltd.’s CN filing (2024) address construction sequencing, enabling the LNG process module to be installed on the floating body as soon as LNG tanks are complete. This signals growing industry attention to schedule compression as a value driver in FLNG projects where construction timelines of 5+ years represent significant financing risk.
Dockside Floating Liquefaction vs. Full Offshore FLNG Vessels
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| Dimension | Dockside Floating Liquefaction (FDLU) | Full Offshore FLNG Vessel |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Bifurcated: pretreatment onshore, liquefaction on floating unit moored at coastal dock | Self-contained: full process chain (pretreatment, liquefaction, storage, offloading) on single hull |
| Leading Assignee | Excelerate Liquefaction Solutions, LLC (20+ records, 2014–2019, 9 jurisdictions) | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. (6+ records, 2003–2011, WO/AU/NO/US) |
| Refrigeration Approach | Mixed refrigerant and turbo-expander cooling modules distributed across liquefaction trains | Mixed refrigerant cycles (propane-precooled, dual mixed refrigerant); nitrogen expansion for offshore motion tolerance |
| Capex / Schedule | Excelerate WO 2014 cites 20% capex reduction and 25% schedule reduction vs. onshore LNG plant | 5+ year construction timelines; JGC modular sequencing patents target build cycle compression |
| Commissioning Method | Compact liquefaction module fabricated at shipyard; redeployable to new gas fields | Vessel commissioned at construction yard using paired regasification vessel with onboard LNG storage loop (Shell 2003 WO) |
| Environmental Suitability | Suited for nearshore and coastal gas aggregation; sub-sea compressed gas pipelines from offshore platform | Suited for open-water offshore fields; GBS variant (NOVATEK 2025) extends concept to Arctic ice conditions |
| BOG Management | BOG recycle addressed by ExxonMobil (active AU/CA patents through 2023) for coastal LNG plant configurations | ExxonMobil bidirectional BOG/EFG recycle patents (US 2020, WO 2020, AU 2021/2023) specifically target floating plant efficiency |
| Jurisdictional IP Coverage | US, WO, AU, SG, EP, IL, CN, HK, JP (Excelerate); broadest multi-jurisdiction prosecution in dataset | WO, AU, NO, US (Shell); US, AU, CA, SG (ExxonMobil); EP/US/CA/IN (NOVATEK GBS) |
Frequently Asked Questions: Floating LNG Production Technology
An FDLU separates gas pretreatment onshore from liquefaction on a floating unit moored at a coastal dock. The onshore facility handles acid gas removal, dehydration, mercury extraction, and NGL separation, delivering near-LNG-quality gas via pipeline to the floating unit. A full FLNG vessel places the entire process chain — pretreatment, liquefaction, storage, and offloading — on a single purpose-built hull moored directly at an offshore field. Excelerate’s patent portfolio dominates the FDLU space; Shell’s 2003 WO filing established the foundational full-vessel concept.
Excelerate’s WO 2014 filing cites a 20% capex reduction and 25% schedule reduction compared to a comparable onshore LNG plant construction. The bifurcated architecture reduces offshore deck footprint, enables shipyard fabrication of the compact liquefaction module, and allows redeployment to new gas fields.
NOVATEK’s GBS-based LNG complex is explicitly designed for Arctic conditions where conventional FLNG mooring systems are unreliable due to ice loads. The multi-GBS architecture distributes multiple production lines across separate concrete gravity structures with shared refrigerant preparation, fractionation, storage, and jetty infrastructure. NOVATEK filed pending records in EP, US, CA, and IN in 2025, representing the sharpest recent filing cluster in this dataset.
ExxonMobil’s D1BM concept introduces a standardized machinery string with up to three compressor bodies deployable across different refrigerant cycles and feed gas compositions without substantial re-engineering. This reduces capex and schedule risk for opportunistic FLNG and stranded gas projects. Related patents were filed in US 2021, AU 2021, and CA 2022.
The US is the most represented jurisdiction with approximately 25+ records, reflecting both domestic US filers and international assignees using the US as a key validation market. CN carries approximately 12 records, AU approximately 10, WO (PCT) approximately 8, and SG approximately 5 records. Australian activity correlates with FLNG deployment in that market (Shell’s Prelude FLNG, proximity to Chevron’s Gorgon/Wheatstone projects).
Boil-off gas (BOG) management and recycle subsystems are a persistent cross-cutting theme across liquefaction plant designs. ExxonMobil holds active patents in AU and CA (through 2023) on bidirectional BOG/EFG recycle affecting floating plant efficiency. Any FLNG or coastal LNG project using EFG recycle to feed gas or fuel gas systems should perform a targeted clearance search against ExxonMobil’s BOG subsystem claims, as these represent an actively-maintained and litigated sub-domain.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.