LNG

Growing liquefied natural gas importer Germany has started following the UK in rolling back uneconomic goals for achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 with the German coalition government agreeing to relax environmental codes for the construction industry to boost the economy and increase energy requirements.

Argentina is moving forward with more natural gas production both onshore and offshore with LNG market participant, the French major TotalEnergies, announcing the start of drilling at the Fenix gas field off the southern Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego.

RWE AG, the German utility with an LNG floating import facility at Brunsbüttel on the Elbe River, reported a drop in net income as it shut its last nuclear plant in Germany but still relies on coal to replace Russian energy supplies while renewables earnings have fallen.

Wintershall Dea, the company viewed as Germany’s national oil and gas player and which is a shareholder in the Norwegian-run Hammerfest LNG export project, has submitted a plan for development of the Dvalin North gas field in the Norwegian Sea to help boost pipelines gas supplies for Europe.

TotalEnergies has approved the final investment decision for the Fénix gas development offshore LNG importer Argentina in partnership with Germany’s main oil and gas company Wintershall Dea.

TechnipFMC, the US energy engineering company with subsea expertise, said it was awarded a significant integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract by a Norwegian subsidiary of German oil and gas company Wintershall Dea to revitalize the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea.

Gasnor, the LNG and gas operator formerly owned by Royal Dutch Shell and sold to Molgas Energy Holdings, said it signed an agreement with German oil and gas company Wintershall Dea to supply LNG fuel to vessels serving exploration and production platforms on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

The first ship to receive LNG fuel will be the offshore supply vessel (OSV) “Viking Princess” and the fuelling will take place at the bunkering terminal at Mongstad Base, one of Norway’s main supply sites serving 23 fixed offshore installations and on average 3-6 rig operations annually in the northern North Sea.

The 90-metres long and 21m wide vessel “Viking Princess” is powered by dual-fuel engines that can use both MGO (Marine Gasoil) and LNG and also has a battery pack for further energy management.

“When using LNG-powered supply vessels, the emissions associated with the offshore supply services will be reduced by around 30 percent,” said Gasnor.

Gasnor’s sale to Madrid-based Molgas Energy by Shell was completed in April 2021. The value of that transaction was never disclosed.

Gasnor is now a well-established downstream LNG company with small-scale LNG production facilities and headquartered in Avaldsnes in Norway.

Shell had owned the firm since 2012 and one of its notable projects was to construct the LNG import facilities for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar when it turned to gas-fired power.

Spain’s Molgas like Gasnor has pioneered the development of the small-scale LNG business in Europe.

Gasnor and Molgas plan to expand their LNG bunkering and clean fuel activities.

Molgas provides integrated LNG services to more than 100 off-grid industrial customers, owns and operates LNG filling stations for heavy-duty trucks and provides bunkering infrastructure at ports in Spain.

Molgas itself is majority owned by InfraVia, a Paris-based private equity firm, specializing in infrastructure and technology investments.