At 488metres loa Shell’s Prelude FLNG facility was always going to represent a formidable challenge even for the skilled tug masters who were charged with towing the facility from the shipyard in the Republic of Korea where it was constructed, and delivering it to its final destination, a remote gas field 475 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia. This was reported by HR Wallingford, UK, on 1 August.

Practice makes perfect, and HR Wallingford, using its Australia Ship Simulation Centre in Fremantle created an accurate and detailed navigation simulation of Prelude for Shell, which was used to prepare the Tow Masters, Tug Masters and Pilots, allowing them to familiarise themselves with a realistic simulation of Prelude manoeuvres at sea. On 25 July Prelude arrived safely at its destination in the East Browse Basin.