LNG

Golar LNG Ltd shares surged over the weekend as the company entered a definitive agreements with Pan American Energy (PAE) for a 20-year deployment of one of its floating LNG production units in Argentina to tap the vast resources of the Vaca Muerta Shale.

Golar LNG Ltd, the shipping company with a small but growing fleet of floating liquefied natural gas production and project vessels including the “Hilli Episeyo” offshore Cameroon and the “FLNG Gimi” for offshore Mauritania and Senegal, has signed another FLNG accord, this time with Nigeria.

April 27 (LNGJ) - The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Norwegian shipping company Golar LNG to deploy a floating liquefied natural gas production vessel offshore Nigeria. State-run NNPC said that the Golar LNG Chief Executive, Karl Fredrik Staubo, signed the accord in Abuja, the Nigerian federal capital.

   This would be Nigeria’s second FLNG project after one being developed by UTM Offshore. The private Nigerian company has signed a front-end engineering design agreement with Technip Energies and others for the production hull with 1.2 million tonnes per annum of capacity.

Golar LNG Ltd said it sold about one third of the 18.6 million New Fortress Energy Inc. shares received upon completion of the sale of Hygo Energy Transition to NFE in April 2021.

The sale is expected to raise net proceeds of approximately $250 million which Golar said it would seek to deploy to floating LNG growth projects.

“Golar is excited about new FLNG growth prospects, including those being pursued by NFE and plans to remain a supportive shareholder for the foreseeable future,” stated Golar Chief Executive Karl Fredrik Staubo in regards to the sale.

Golar LNG reorganized its business following the sale of the Hygo Energy Transition stake and Golar LNG Partners to New York-based LNG-to-power firm NFE.

Golar finalized the sale in 2021 of its 50 percent stake in Hygo Energy Transition, formerly known as Golar Power, and its 32 percent interest in its US affiliate Golar LNG Partners, both to NFE.

Hygo Energy itself was a joint venture set up between Golar and US private equity firm Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners.

Golar LNG shares had plunged more than 30 percent, on 26th of September 2020, when Hygo Energy was caught up briefly in a Brazilian corruption investigation.

Previous crisis

Golar’s stock fell after news emerged of Hygo Energy Chief Executive Eduardo Antonello being involved in a probe into certain activities before he had joined Hygo Energy. Antonello later stepped down from Hygo Energy over the controversy.

The corporate crisis came at a time when Hygo Energy was expanding its LNG-for-power projects in northeast Brazil. The business was subsequently purchased by NFE, led by its high-profile CEO Wes Edens.

The Golar assets sales deals involved NFE taking over Golar’s US unit, Golar LNG Partners. and the Hygo Energy stake.

The transactions were valued at the time at more than $5 billion in cash and assets and turned NFE into the leading gas-to-power company in Brazil while providing LNG shipping assets and experience.

NFE already had projects in Jamaica and Puerto Rico and later started LNG import ventures in Mexico and Nicaragua.

Eastern Pacific Shipping, the Singapore-based shipping line, and Golar LNG have agreed to join forces to run a Golar spin-off initially comprising eight tri-fuel, diesel-electric LNG carrier in a firm called Cool Company Ltd.

Golar LNG said it entered into swap arrangements to hedge part of its Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) price exposure for the incremental 200,000 tonnes per annum from Train 3 production on the “FLNG Hilli Episeyo” from the first quarter of 2022 at a price of $28 per million British thermal units.

Golar LNG Ltd, which still has 25 owned or operated vessels in its fleet, reported a profit in a hectic first quarter that saw the departure of its Chief Executive Iain Ross, the sale of US unit Golar LNG Partners to New Fortress Energy, along with Golar’s half share in the Hygo Energy Transition business in Brazil.

May 14 (LNGJ) - Golar LNG Ltd named Karl Fredrik Staubo as the new Chief Executive. Staubo had since May 2020 been the CEO of Golar LNG Partners LP, recently sold to New Fortress Energy. Previous Golar LNG Ltd CEO Iain Ross resigned after nearly four years with the Norwegian-founded LNG shipping and projects company as it was completing the sell-off of assets to New York-based firm New Fortress.

   “Staubo has a broad shipping-energy background from Clarksons Platou Securities and Magni Partners,” said a statement. Eduardo Maranhao was named as Golar LNG Ltd’s Chief Financial Officer. “Through the company’s strong strategic positions through the LNG value chain, including upstream, midstream, and downstream, Golar is well positioned to take an active part in the ongoing energy transition with the target to deliver cheaper and cleaner energy,” stated Golar Chairman Tor Olav Troim.

Golar LNG Partners and Golar Power have entered into a cooperation agreement whereby the parties intend to work together to develop floating LNG terminal hubs.

May 1 (LNGJ) - Golar LNG Partners has appointed Karl Fredrik Staubo as its interim Chief Executive after current CEO Graham Robjohns previously said he was stepping down on April 30.

   The company said Staubo would formally take up the role with immediate effect. “He has 10 years of experience advising and investing in shipping, energy and infrastructure companies from Magni Partners and Clarksons Platou Securities. At Platou Securities he worked in the corporate finance division, the last three years as Head of Shipping,” said Golar.