The French Strategic Investment Fund (FSI), set up by President Nicolas Sarkozy to protect French industry from foreign predators and the economic slump, has bought a 5 percent stake in LNG engineering firm Technip.
Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil Corp. announced the completion and start-up of the Qatargas II projects second liquefaction Train with capacity of 7.8 million tonnes per annum in which Frances Total has a stake.
National Grid, owner of the UKs Grain LNG import terminal southeast of London, said it was considering a fourth phase of capacity increase and has launched an open season to gauge LNG market interest.
InterOil Corp. said its LNG project in Papua New Guinea, one of three being developed in the Pacific nation, has received full government support and has infrastructure and resource advantages over rival projects.
Atlantic Basin LNG supplies are fixed on Europe in the months ahead as the US heads for an historic natural gas glut. Thats as a US Federal report said there was no physical explanation for record prices of US natural gas posted last year.
Enagas, the Spanish LNG import terminal owner and gas pipeline network operator, has concluded a deal with BP to purchase the UK companys 25 percent stake in the Bilbao LNG terminal in northwest Spain.
The UKs newest LNG terminal, Dragon LNG in Wales, said it had successfully completed its commissioning phase and has now commenced commercial operations with the ability to handle more than 4 million tonnes per annum of LNG.
Fluxys, the Belgian owner of the Zeebrugge LNG import terminal, reported higher carrier activity at the facility, with 43 LNG carriers unloading in the first half of 2009 compared with 17 in the same period a year ago.
KBR, the leading LNG project engineering company, announced that T. Kevin DeNicola, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, was stepping down.
The LNG market is expected to improve in the fourth quarter after a year so far marked by liquefaction Train shutdowns in Russia, Indonesia, Qatar and Norway, planned maintenance in Australia and Trinidad, and reduced output in Nigeria and Algeria.