LNG

Prelude return delayed

Shell’s giant FLNG ‘Prelude’ will be unable to supply LNG cargoes, due to industrial action, which has been extended to 21st July. A Shell spokesperson told newswires that the company had sent customers an - ‘inability to supply notice for all future cargoes, due to inability to complete offtakes following increased impacts related to the ongoing Protected Industrial Action (PIA).’ The inability to supply notice is aligned with the current period of protected action, which has been extended to 21st July, the spokesperson added. The stoppages began on 10th June.

WFW advises Snam on FSRU acquisition

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has advised Snam Group on its acquisition of 100% of the share capital of FSRU I Limited of Bermuda from BW Gas Cyprus Limited (BW). As a result, by the expected closing date of end 2023, Snam will own as its sole asset the FSRU ‘BW Singapore’. The acquisition will be financed by the San Donato Milanese Group with about $400 mill of its own funds, to be paid in two tranches. The vessel, which was built in 2015, has been deployed as an FSRU, but can also operate as an LNGC. She has a storage capacity of around 170,000 cu m of LNG and a nominal continuous regasification capacity of 5 bill cu m per year. It is expected that the ’BW Singapore’, which is currently under a charter, which expires in November 2023, will be located off Ravenna in north eastern Italy and will be operational by summer 2024 once the authorisation and regulatory process has been finalised, and the work necessary for mooring and connecting to the transportation network has been completed. The FSRU’s northern Adriatic location will allow it to cater for potential new LNG flows from North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

OLT appoints new Chairman and CEO

OLT Offshore LNG Toscana’s Board has approved a new governance, which provides for the appointment of Elio Ruggeri as Chairman and the confirmation of Giovanni Giorgi in the role of CEO. Giorgi replaces Maurizio Zangrandi.

GTT to design another seven LNGC cargo tanks

GTT has received an order from Samsung Heavy Industries for the tank design of three new LNGCs, on behalf of an Asian shipowner. The 174,000 cu m LNGCs will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system, a technology developed by GTT. Deliveries of the vessel are scheduled for the third quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. Another two orders were received from Hyundai Heavy Industries for tank designs on behalf of a European shipowner. The 174,000 cu m vessels will also each be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system. Deliveries of these vessels are scheduled for the second quarter of 2025. Finally, GTT announced that it has received another order from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries for the tank design of two new LNGCs, on behalf of a European shipowner. The 174,000 cu m vessels will also be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system. Deliveries of the last two are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

Construction starts on Taiwan’s largest LNG storage tanks

Bechtel, Taiwan’s CPC Corp, and MRY broke ground on the building of LNG tanks for the CPC Taichung Phase III LNG import terminal at Taichung, Taiwan. To enhance the stability of natural gas supplies in Taiwan, CPC is expanding this facility to include two full containment tanks and associated regasification facilities. Bechtel will undertake engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of two 180,000 cu m full containment LNG tanks that will be Taiwan’s largest storage tanks when built.

Kenai LNG export project - more time needed

Marathon Petroleum Corp's Trans-Foreland Pipeline unit has requested more time to convert the Kenai LNG export plant in Alaska into an import terminal. A US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) notice said that Trans-Foreland sought an extension until December 2025 to complete the facility. In December, 2020, FERC had approved Trans-Foreland's request to build the plant and gave the company until December, 2022 for operations to begin.

Shell to participate in Qatar’s LNG expansion

Shell has joined the ranks of energy majors appointed by QatarEnergy as a partner in the North Field East (NFE) expansion project. Similar to the other stakeholders, Shell will hold a 25% share in a joint venture company, which in turn will own 25% of NFE’s expansion project, including the four mega LNG trains with a combined nameplate LNG capacity of 32 mill tonnes per annum. NFE will also include carbon capture and sequestration to reduce emissions.

Woodfibre turns to Siemens

Siemens Energy is to be the single systems supplier for the all-electric Woodfibre LNG project near Squamish, in British Columbia, Canada. The environmentally friendly LNG facility will be located at the site of a former pulp and paper operation. It will be designed to produce 2.1 mill tonnes of LNG per annum and use clean, renewable hydroelectricity, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80%. Siemens Energy’s involvement will include all equipment associated with the main refrigeration trains, including compressors, synchronous motors, variable speed drives, converter transformers, harmonic filters, and numerous powerhouses. Woodfibre is expected to reach substantial completion in 2027 and begin commercial operations by September of that year, the company said.

Ships - Newbuildings

The spate of new ordering continues unabated. As LNG Shipping News went to press, news was circulating that Samsung had won orders for 14 LNGCs. No other details were revealed. Elsewhere, eight of the vessels ordered at Hyundai for the Qatari project were believed to be contracted by Knutsen, according to brokers’ reports. This would bring Knutsen’s involvement in the Qatar project to 10 LNGCs. The price was said to be $215 mill per ship and the delivery dates were quoted as 2025/2026. Meanwhile, TMS Cardiff Gas was believed to have ordered two 174,000 cu m LNGCs at Hyundai Samho for a rather high $245 mill each. They will be fitted with ME-GI engines, air lubrication systems (ALS) and shaft generators. Their delivery date was reported as 2024. Brokers also reported that Alpha Gas had taken over some if not all of the cancelled Sovcomflot LNGC contracts at Daewoo, mentioned in the last LNG Shipping News.