LNG

May 16 (LNGJ) - Flex LNG, the Norwegian shipping company with a fleet of 13 vessels and several chartered to the largest US exporter Cheniere Energy, reported a fall in first-quarter profits despite a rise in operating revenues. The average time charter equivalent rate declined in the quarter to $80,175 per day compared with $81,699 per day for the fourth quarter of 2022.

   Flex reported vessel operating revenues in the first quarter of $92.47 million compared with $74.57M in the same three months of 2022. Net income dropped to $16.53M from $55.76M in the prior-year quarter. “As we completed the balance sheet optimization program during the first quarter, we had some additional financing costs in our accounts for the first quarter,” explained Øystein M. Kalleklev, Chief Executive of Flex LNG Management AS. “However, we have now put in place new attractive long-term financing for all our 13 ships, boosting our cash balance to $475M at quarter-end, or about $9 per share,” added Kalleklev.

Cool Company Ltd, the LNG shipping joint venture formed between Eastern Pacific Shipping and Golar LNG has issued a business and financial update as it builds a modern fleet and prepares for a listing on the New York Stock Exchange after last year’s initial public offering.

Flex LNG, the Norwegian shipping company with a fleet of 13 vessels and several chartered to the largest US exporter Cheniere Energy, reported lower fourth-quarter net income and revenues from a year ago though expects an increase in revenues for all of 2023 even amid off-hires for four ships undergoing surveys.

Höegh LNG Holdings Ltd reported a net loss for 2021 because of increased expenses and a tax audit even as annual revenues increased to over $350 million for the year and the company sealed several key floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) charter deals from Jamaica to Australia.

Flex LNG, the shipping company with a fleet of 13 carriers, achieved charter equivalent rates of almost $96,000 per day in the fourth quarter to help reach record revenues and net income.

GasLog Partners, the Greek LNG shipping company with a fleet of 15 vessels, reported a third-quarter increase in revenues and profits as global demand gathered pace.

GasLog Ltd, which controls an LNG carrier fleet of 35 vessels, has made its first major foray into the debt securities market to lower interest on financing since the merger in mid-2021 with a unit of giant US investment US fund BlackRock.

GasLog Ltd entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with the US investment funds, the Carlyle Group and EIG Global Energy Partners, for a $325 million credit facility.

The Notes carry an interest rate of 7.75 percent and are due in 2029.

Carlyle’s global credit platform made the investment with capital primarily from its Infrastructure Credit Fund.

EIG extended its funding through various funds and accounts in the investment group’s direct lending division.

“GasLog anticipates drawing down the Facility in March 2022. The proceeds of the facility will be used to refinance the company’s 8.875 percent Senior Notes due in March 2022,” said GasLog.

“Any remaining proceeds may be used to pay transaction costs and expenses incurred in connection with the private placement and/or general corporate purposes,” added the company, whose corporate headquarters are in Hamilton, Bermuda and operational base is in the Greek port of Piraeus.

GasLog completed a merger in June 2021 with BlackRock’s Global Energy and Power Infrastructure division and de-listed its common shares from the New York Stock Exchange.

The GasLog’s ownership structure has three main shareholders in parent GasLog Ltd and subsidiary GasLog Partners LP.

The Greek Livanos family owns 55 percent, the Monaco-based Onassis Foundation holds 12 percent and BlackRock Global Energy and Power infrastructure fund (GEPIF) owns 45 percent.

The GasLog Ltd, whose Chairman remains Peter G. Livanos, has an LNG fleet comprising 20 vessels, 12 dual-fuel, seven tri-fuel, diesel electric (TFDE) and one steam-turbine carrier.

GasLog Ltd subsidiary, GasLog Partners LP and whose Chief Executive since August 2021 has been Paolo Enoizi, owns 15 LNG carriers, including 10 TFDE ships and five steam-turbine vessels.

The contracted revenue backlog at the end of June 2021 for the Partnership’s fleet was more than $660M and the average age of the vessels was nine years.

Teekay LNG Partners, whose gas group units own, charter or have stakes in 77 vessels, including 47 liquefied natural gas carriers and 30 liquefied petroleum gas or multi-gas vessels, reported annual net income almost halved, though its long-term charters strategy partially protected the company from the worst of the challenges.

Feb 17 (LNGJ) - Flex LNG, the growing Norwegian-listed fleet owner with 13 modern carriers, 10 on the water and three uner construction, posted fourth-quarter net income of $25.8 million compared with $3.8M in the previous quarter. Full-year net profits came to $8.1M. Flex reported an average Time Charter Equivalent rate of $73,712 per day for the fourth quarter versus $46,569 per day for the third quarter.

   “During the last quarter of 2020 and into 2021, the LNG market improved markedly driven by strong demand from Asia due to a combination of cold weather and economic recovery, which resulted in a shortage of both LNG and ships to transport it,” said Oystein M Kalleklev, Chief Executive of Flex LNG Management AS. “LNG prices, which hit synchronized lows following the Covid-19 pandemic, rebounded with an 18-times price increase of Asian LNG from the low in April 2020 to the highs in January 2021, a remarkable turn-around,” added Kalleklev.

Golar LNG Partners, the owner of 10 vessels, said that growing underlying demand and limited new nameplate production additions through to 2023 will result in LNG prices that help the fuel’s competitiveness and support a more sustained increase in US-Asia trade and ton-mile demand for shipping.