LNG

Hyundai Marine Solution Co., the South Korean ship services provider, has been awarded an order for re-liquefaction upgrades on some of the LNG carriers operated by the shipping unit of Chevron Corp.

Chevron Corp., the energy major and liquefied natural gas operator in Western Australia and Angola, and with a small LNG fleet said that the President of Chevron Shipping Company, Mark Ross, was retiring from the company in May “after 33 years of distinguished service”.

The San Ramon, California-based company said that Ross would be succeeded by Barbara Pickering, currently Vice President of Operations at the shipping unit.

Chevron Shipping employs around 2,000 people worldwide and operates a modern fleet of 30 ships and also charters third-party vessels  to transport LNG, crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas, refined petroleum products and chemicals around the world.

The company said that Ross had led Chevron Shipping since 2015 and prior to that, he served as Vice President of Operations of the company for four years.

He joined Chevron in 1990 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in Chevron’s Midstream, Upstream and Downstream organizations.

ABS director

He is also a Director of the American Bureau of Shipping and the UK P&I Club and is a past Chairman of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO).

He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

His successor Barbara Pickering received a bachelor’s degree in Maritime Studies from Liverpool University in the United Kingdom and joined Chevron in 1991 as a ship charterer in London.

She has held positions of increasing responsibility with Chevron in the UK, Australia and the United States. She also currently serves as a Vice Chairman of OCIMF.

“Under Mark’s leadership, Chevron Shipping has delivered exceptional safety and environmental performance and has greatly expanded its marine capabilities,” said Colin Parfitt, President of Chevron Midstream.

“We thank Mark for his many contributions and wish him well in the future,” added Parfitt.

Ross said that it had been an honor and privilege to have worked for Chevron Shipping and to have served as President for the past nine years.

“I take immense pride in what we have accomplished in transforming Chevron Shipping into a world-class marine organization,” Ross explained.

“Words cannot properly express how I feel about our organization and the deep appreciation I have for the people who run it - onboard our ships, at our terminals and ashore. I have known Barbara for 30 years and I am thrilled she will now lead our company,” Ross stated.

Chevron Corp. has said liquefied natural gas was a key component of the energy transition on land and at sea and plans to upgrade its fleet of 10 LNG carriers at the Singapore shipyard of Sembcorp Marine Ltd.

Chevron through its subsidiary Chevron Shipping Company has signed an agreement with Sembcorp Marine Repairs & Upgrades, a unit of Sembcorp Marine, to help reduce the carbon-intensity of its LNG fleet operations.

“Under the agreement, with Sembcorp Marine’s support, Chevron will install new technologies aboard Chevron vessels to support their energy transition goals,” said a statement.

“The changes are also in alignment with decarbonization targets set by the International Maritime Organization,” Chevron added.

Chevron Shipping operates a fleet of around 30 ships from conventional crude and petroleum product carriers to LNG carriers.

In addition to providing marine transportation for the company, Chevron Shipping provides technical, commercial and operational support to projects such as the Gorgon LNG and Wheatstone LNG export plants in Western Australia.

LNG technologies

Chevron said its LNG fleet plans included installing new technologies such as a reliquefication system, hull air lubrication and new gas compressors.

The company expects that all these measure together are expected to reduce cargo boil-off, lower fuel consumption and increase volumes of cargo delivered.

“We are excited to work with Sembcorp Marine to help us advance our lower carbon goals,” said Mark Ross, President of Chevron Shipping.

“We believe LNG will be a key component of the global energy transition for years to come and Chevron is focused on continuing its disciplined capital investment in our LNG fleet,” added Ross.

Chevron stated that Sembcorp Marine had significant expertise in complex LNG fleet modifications and a proven track record for lower carbon solutions for the maritime industry.

The Singaporean company will provide Chevron with engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning services and expects to complete the work by mid-2025.

“Sembcorp Marine is committed to advancing environmental sustainability through the development of industry-leading solutions,” said Wong Weng Sun, Sembcorp Marine President and Chief Executive.

“Working with Chevron on its LNG fleet upgrades is an immediate way to accelerate the lowering of the carbon footprint in the maritime industry, to achieve the IMO’s target to reduce emissions from international shipping by at least half,” added Wong. 

Chevron Shipping Company, which has a fleet of more than 30 tankers including 10 LNG carriers as the transportation arm of Chevron Corp., said it had joined the Sea Cargo Charter, a benchmark initiative for responsible shipping activities and transparent reporting as part of the International Maritime Organization’s efforts to reduce emissions, especially in ports.