Bureau Veritas Grants AiP to China Offshore's FlexFit FLNG Series

At Gastech 2026, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) presented the Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates for eight hull designs within China Offshore's FlexFit-series Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Production, Storage and Offloading (FLNG) portfolio, recognizing the feasibility of this standardized FLNG solution and supporting its introduction to the global offshore market.

The certified FlexFit series is a tiered and standardized FLNG product family covering two technical pathways, including Type B Tank and Membrane Tank designs, with a total of eight hull configurations. The series offers liquefaction capacities ranging from 1.2 to 6.0 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), supporting a wide range of development scenarios, from marginal satellite gas fields and conventional offshore oil and gas developments to large deep-water and ultra-deep-water gas fields operating in demanding environmental conditions.

All FlexFit designs feature a double-hull configuration and a 30-year design service life. The standardized approach supports efficient customization to meet specific project requirements, helping to shorten project schedules and optimize capital expenditure. Large-scale models also incorporate reserved interfaces for future carbon capture and storage (CCS) integration to support the evolving low-carbon requirements of offshore developments.

Developed around the principle of "the right vessel at the right cost for the right field," the FlexFit series is designed to provide fit-for-purpose solutions that maximize project value and development efficiency.

Key features of the FlexFit series include:

• Standardized and scalable design, enabling rapid adaptation to different project requirements and operating environments.
• Proven technology foundations, built on the proprietary Type  B Tank technology and validated through BV's Approval in Principle process.
• Integrated EPC capabilities, combining in-house engineering expertise with global partnership resources to support project delivery from concept development through execution.
• Strong LNG engineering heritage, leveraging experience gained from the design and construction of large-scale LNG carriers.
• Future-oriented green and smart design for the future, incorporating energy-efficiency measures and digital technologies aligned with the industry's decarbonization objectives.

The global FLNG sector is experiencing strong growth as demand increases for the development of remote offshore gas resources. At the same time, the market continues to evolve toward larger scale, greater efficiency and lower carbon intensity.

The Approval in Principle of the eight FlexFit designs represents an important milestone for China Offshore's FLNG portfolio. The certification verifies the feasibility of the designs at the concept stage, supports risk reduction during subsequent project development phases and strengthens the competitiveness of the FlexFit series for offshore gas development projects worldwide.