LNG

QatarEnergy the leading global LNG producer and with three growth projects being developed, has signed 19 more charter contracts with Asian owners from countries like China and Malaysia under Qatar’s LNG fleet expansion programme.

Feb 29 (LNGJ) - A Japanese consortium of LNG and energy players has signed a storage site agreement with Malaysia’s Petronas and Petroleum Sarawak (Petros) for the depleted M3 gas field that previously supplied the Bintulu LNG export plant and will now be used as part of a carbon-capture and storage project.

   Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., engineering firm JGC Holdings Corp and shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-LINE) signed the accord. “This collaboration represents a significant advancement in the efforts to reduce greenhous-gas emissions in the Asia Pacific region, including Malaysia and Japan,” said the companies.

Nov 20 (LNGJ) - Japanese LNG engineering company, JGC Holdings Corp., said it had agreed with Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. and Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line) on the key principles for the commercialisation of a carbon-capture and storage (CCS) with Malaysian energy company Petronas by the end of 2028.

   “The target amount of CO2 injection is to be at least 2 million tons per year at the beginning of the project, including that from Malaysia and Japan, and 5 million tons per year by 2030, with a view to increasing the amount to more than 10 million tons per year in the early 2030s,” the companies said.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, the Japanese shipping company known as K-Line, is planning an LNG carrier growth strategy focused on Qatar and with ship management operations being moved into southeast Asia.

The American Bureau of Shipping, the US maritime classification society, has granted approval for an innovative concept for floating liquefied natural gas projects to use storage tanks from older LNG carriers.

The FLNG design was jointly developed by two Japanese companies, the shipping line Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-LINE) and LNG and energy engineer JGC Corp.

ABS awarded an approval in principle (AIP) for the joint project which was also supported by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The design essentially involves transferring and reusing LNG storage tanks from spherical Moss-type LNG carriers into the hulls of new FLNG facilities.

By re-using existing LNG vessels and their Type B storage tanks, the potential number of shipyards globally able to build FLNG units is increased.

The new Japanese design if it moves to production would support the forecast increase in demand for fast-track FLNG solutions.

“In many areas of the world, FLNG represents a potential solution to the challenge of meeting increasing demand for natural gas without the need for an export pipeline to shore and the associated infrastructure,” explained Tor Ivar Guttulsrod, the ABS Director for FLNG and FSRU vessels.

“ABS is committed to supporting development of FLNG globally while retaining a laser focus on safety,” stated Guttulsrod.

Expertise

Satoshi Kanamori, an Executive Officer at K-Line, said the design had potential to leverage shipping expertise and existing LNG assets.

“K-LINE will continue to make relentless efforts and generate new values to meet the diversifying needs of our customers,” added Kanamori.

JGC executive Hiroyuki Ishizaki agreed with the K-Line assessment as it was based on technical capabilities accumulated in FLNG and engineering, procurement and construction projects.

“This results in the enhancement of the customer's FLNG business since it is potentially an optimized CAPEX solution. JGC will continue to develop FLNG technologies for open seas and nearshore,” added Ishizaki. 

Global commodities firm Trafigura and French liquefied natural gas storage technology company Gaztranzport and Technigaz (GTT) have joined forces with Japanese shipping lines to help take the bunkering business into the modern era in the Port of Singapore, the growing Asian LNG hub.

Feb 24 (LNGJ) - Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line), the Japanese shipping company, said it was pleased to be the operator of the first Singapore-owned LNG bunkering vessel, the 7,500 cubic metres capacity “FueLNG Bellina”, as it entered service in the Asian port city. The vessel is owned by the FueLNG joint venture comprising Keppel Offshore and Marine and Shell Eastern Petroleum. “We are proud to get involved in this meaningful event through our technical expertise on ship management of liquefied gas carriers,” explained K- Line.

   “Singapore is one of the busiest bunkering locations on the globe. The vessel’s debut is part of the maritime industry’s efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse-gas,” added K-Line. “LNG enables vessels to emit less GHG when used as marine fuel compared to conventional heavy fuel oils, and having the ‘FueLNG Bellina’ provide LNG bunkering on a ship-to-ship basis in Singapore offers more opportunities to various ship operators to choose a greener marine fuel,” stated K-Line.

Feb 26 (LNG) - Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French technology firm for designs of systems for the maritime transportation and storage of liquefied natural gas, has received an order from the Chinese Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group for tank designs for two newbuilds ordered by the Japanese shipowner Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line).

   GTT said each vessel would offer a capacity of 79,960 cubic metres and be fitted with the No. 96 L03-plus membrane containment system. The delivery of the vessels is planned for the second quarter of 2022. “We are pleased to receive this new order for mid-scale LNG carriers, from Hudong-Zhonghua, a long term partner of GTT,” said Philippe Berterottière, the Paris-based company’s Chairman and Chief Executive.

Nov 28 (LNGJ) - Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, the Japanese shipping company known as K-Line, said it signed a ship management agreement for the newbuild LNG bunkering vessel owned by FueLNG and set to operate in the Port of Singapore. FueLNG is a bunkering joint venture between Singapore’s Keppel Offshore and Marine Ltd and Shell Eastern Petroleum.

   “We signed a ship management contract for the 7,500 cubic metres capacity LNG fuel supply ship owned by FueLNG,” said K-Line. “After the ship is delivered to FueLNG in the second half of 2020, it is scheduled to begin service as the first LNG fuel supply ship in Singapore, the world's largest fuel supply base,” added K-Line, whose own fleet contains LNG carriers, Ro-Ro ships, tankers and container vessels.

Four Japanese companies have formed two joint ventures to develop the LNG bunkering market in the ports of Japan, similar to operations started in the northwest European ports of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Zeebrugge in Belgium.