Owned by Shell, the world’s largest vessel, PRELUDE has finally set off the coast of South Korea. With its length of 1,601 feet, the vessel is 150 feet longer than the height of the Empire State Building and this vessel's massive size has earned its title as the largest object currently afloat.
The bright red vessel weighs 600,000 tons and is 243 feet wide. It took a full year to complete the construction of this vessel having three engines that pack 20,100 horsepower.
Prelude is a floating liquefied natural gas facility, where natural gas will be harvested from the depths of the ocean, processed on board and transferred to transport ships. Reports said that Prelude can produce about 3.9 million tons of gas each year.
The floating facility takes some of the strain of gas production off the environment. According to Shell, "It also avoids the potential environmental impact of constructing and operating a plant on land, including laying pipelines to shore and building other infrastructure."
Reuters reports that Prelude begins its trek to Australia in 2017 and Shell is already working on the designs of an even bigger vessel.
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