LNG

Excelerate joins seafarer initiative

Excelerate Energy has signed up to the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change. It was signed by Excelerate Technical Management (ETM), a wholly-owned subsidiary responsible for the management and welfare of seafarers and crews on the company’s FSRUs. Dedicated to overcoming the seafarer crisis to enable crew changes and repatriation, more than 500 maritime stakeholders have signed the declaration thus far. It defines four main actions to facilitate crew changes and keep global supply chains functioning, including: • Recognising seafarers as key workers and give them priority access to Covid-19 vaccines; • Establishing and implementing gold-standard health protocols based on existing best practices; • Increasing collaboration between ship operators and charterers to facilitate crew changes; • Ensuring air connectivity between key maritime hubs for seafarers. “The declaration marks a significant moment in the industry where we commit to being a part of the collective group working to hold ourselves to the highest standards. We take great pride in joining this effort,” said Cal Bancroft, Excelerate Energy’s Executive Vice President and COO. “We have and will continue to be steadfast in our commitment to stewardship, accountability, improvement, and leadership as it pertains to all parts of our business.”

Cargoes offered

Among the cargo tenders reported recently was Sakhalin Energy offering of two LNG cargoes to be loaded on 27th March and 1st April. Elsewhere, Venture Global LNG has offered at least 12 LNG cargoes for loading between October, 2021 and December, 2022 from the Calcasieu Pass plant in Louisiana, according to traders. If awarded, these would be the first spot cargoes sold from the Calcasieu plant, which is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2022. Bangladesh is to purchase three LNG cargoes from the spot market for April deliveries, market sources said. Petrobangla’s subsidiary Rupantarita Prakritik Gas floated the tenders for the three cargoes and received lower quotes for the first two, a Petrobanga official told local media. Vitol Asia, Petronas and AOT Trading submitted bids for the two cargoes, while the tender for an LNG cargo for delivery during the third week of April was not yet open. The lowest bid for the two 138,000 cu m cargo tenders was about $8 per MMBtu. GAIL (India) has also issued a tender seeking to buy two LNG cargoes for delivery into India and offering two cargoes for loading from the US, industry sources said. It is seeking one cargo for delivery to Dabhol LNG terminal over 13th to 15th April and another for Hazira LNG terminal over 1st and 2nd May. In addition, GAIL has offered two cargoes for loading from CovePoint LNG over 20th and 22nd April and 10th to 12th May.

Damietta ships LNG cargo

The first LNG cargo has been produced and shipped from Damietta, since its closure in 2012. The identity of the LNGC, nor its destination was revealed. This is an important milestone in the completion of the agreement reached on 1st December, 2020 aimed at settling all pending disputes between various parties and at restarting the operations at the plant, operator Eni said. By February, the agreement had received all the authorisations needed from the relevant authorities and its final closing is expected in the first half of this month.

Q-Flex arrives at Ennore

Qatargas has delivered an LNG cargo on board a Q-Flex to India's Ennore LNG receiving terminal. This represents the first call by a Qatargas-chartered vessel at Ennore. The ‘Al Nuaman’ loaded 147,000 cu m of LNG on 11th February at Ras Laffan, and called at Ennore, near Chennai, on 20th February. She also became the largest LNGC to berth at the terminal. The cargo was delivered to Indian Oil LNG Private Limited, a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corp (IOC), which operates the 5 mill tonnes per annum terminal.

Ship deliveries

Minerva recently took delivery of its latest LNGC newbuilding ‘Minerva Kalymnos’. The 174,000 cu m LNGC was built and delivered by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and will be timechartered to a a major LNG player. ‘Minerva Kalymnos’ was the first of three LNGCs the company contracted at SHI. The second vessel in the series is scheduled for delivery this year. She features XDF propulsion, Mark III Flex+ containment and an Airliquide sub-cooler system. Meanwhile, Hyundai Heavy Industries (IHI) has delivered the 174,000 cu m ‘Cobia LNG’ to TMS Cardiff Gas. She left Hyundai’s Ulsan yard last weekend, AIS data showed.

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Oman

Ras Laffan expansion EPC contract

Qatar Petroleum (QP) has awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the expansion of the Ras Laffan LNG storage and loading facilities to Samsung C&T Corp. This contract, which is valued at more than $2 bill, including options, was awarded on a lump sum basis and represents the second major onshore EPC contract award for the North Field East (NFE) project. On 8th February, QP awarded an EPC contract for the construction of four LNG mega-trains with associated facilities to the Chiyoda Technip joint venture. When completed, the NFE project will increase the Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 mill to 110 mill tonnes per annum. The second phase of the planned LNG expansion, the North Field South (NFS) project, is expected to further increase Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 110 mill tonnes to 126 mill tonnes per annum by 2027. NFE’s Ras Laffan scope includes three LNG tanks and three LNG loading berths, plus options for two LNG tanks and one LNG berth for the NFS project, and all associated pipes, lines and loading lines, QP said.

Finance house to build and lease LNGCs

Japanese-based financial concern Anchor Ship Partners has launched a Yen600 bill fund to build and lease LNGCs. Once built, the company will lease the vessels to NYK, MOL and ‘K’ Line for a period of around 15 years. It said that it would also look into vessels powered by ammonia and hydrogen in the future. Funds will be solicited from regional banks and other financial institutions and will be reviewed periodically by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank to access the impact.