Qatargas delivered its first Q-Max LNG cargo to China on board the 266,000 cubic metres capacity vessel "Bu Samra", which unloaded at the PetroChina-owned receiving terminal at Rudong in Jiangsu province.
The cargo was delivered from the Qatargas IV liquefaction Train in Ras Laffan under a long-term contract between PetroChina and Qatar Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell.
Qatar operates the world's largest class of LNG carrier in the Q-Max vessel, while its Q-Flex carriers are the second-largest with capacities of just over 210,000 cubic metres capacity.
The deliveries to PetroChina under the Qatargas IV agreement will total 3 million tonnes per annum over 25 years.
Qatargas Chief Executive Khalid bin Khalifa Al-Thani said: "The first Q-Max LNG cargo delivered to PetroChina's LNG terminal is a significant milestone meeting the growing demand for energy in China and we at Qatargas are very proud to have played this contributing role.
"This delivery will further strengthen the relationship between Qatargas and PetroChina over the long-term. We remain long-term partners of China," Al-Thani said.
In addition to co-owning the Qatargas IV LNG Train, Shell is also the operator of many of Qatar's LNG carriers through its shipping unit Stasco.
Andy Brown, a Shell Executive Vice President and director of Qatargas IV, said: "Shell is proud to have facilitated the supply of LNG between Qatar, as the largest LNG producer in the world, and China with its large, burgeoning gas market. These agreements should be of tremendous benefit to both countries."
