LNG

A.P Moeller Maersk, the Danish shipping company, said its first-quarter results were affected by the under-employment of its fleet of eight LNG carriers.

US LNG imports have fallen in recent weeks as maintenance, feed-gas shortages, and start-up delays reduce the amount of previously expected global LNG supply, while  higher prices in other LNG-consuming countries in Europe and Asia continue to attract cargoes away from US ports.

Fluxys, the operator of the Zeebrugge LNG terminal in Belgium, said the first three months of the year saw 13 LNG carriers unloading at the terminal and two LNG carriers making use of the loading services.

A “Large LNG Carriers Forum” has taken place in Shanghai, conducted jointly by classification societies, the American Bureau of Shipping and the China Classification Society, spurred by increased interest in the building of LNG carriers at Chinese shipyards.