LNG

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French maritime LNG storage technology company, has received an order from its partner Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company of China for the design of new storage tanks for two Chinese liquefied natural gas carriers.

GTT said that the latest orders were on behalf of Ocean Jade Investment.

Ocean Jade is a joint venture between Hong Kong shipowner Wah Kwong, Chinese leasing company CSSC (Hong Kong) Shipping and China Gas Holdings.

GTT will design the tanks of these two vessels, which will each offer a capacity of 175,000 cubic metres.

“The tanks will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system developed by GTT,” said the Paris-based company.

The delivery of the vessels is scheduled between the first and the second quarters of 2028.

At the start of July 2024 GTT received another order from the China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard in the eastern province of Jiangsu for the tank design of a new LNG carrier as its orders stack up.

GTT said the order was for the tank design of a new LNG carrier on behalf of Danish ship-owner Celsius with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.

Qatar expansion orders

At the end of June 2024, GTT received a second wave of orders from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for sets of tanks for 10 more vessels as part of QatarEnergy’s “Hundred Ships Programme” to handle the deliveries from multiple expansion projects in the Arabian Gulf.

That GTT order for tanks fitted to 10 large LNG carriers brought to 18 the number of Qatari LNG vessels ordered from China with the new generation of storage tanks.

GTT said it would design the tanks for these 10 very large LNG carriers, which will each have five tanks with a total capacity of 271,000 cubic metres capacity.

The tanks will be fitted with the No. 96 Super-plus membrane containment system developed by GTT.

Delivery from GTT is scheduled between the first quarter of 2030 and the fourth quarter of 2031.

GTT earlier received orders in February 2024 for the designs of tanks for eight Qatari LNG carriers, also with five per ship and with total capacity of 271,000 cubic metres.

The eight-ship order was under a “strategic cooperation agreement” with China State Shipbuilding Corp., the leading Chinese shipbuilding group.

Delivery of this batch is scheduled between the second quarter of 2028 and the fourth quarter of 2029.

The ship designs will have the same overall dimensions as the current largest Q-Max ships but with an increased cargo-carrying capacity.

French liquefied natural gas storage technology firm Gaztranzport and Technigaz (GTT) said it received an order from the Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (SOE) group for the tank design for two LNG carriers and a Very Large Ethane Carrier.

Qatar Gas Transport Company, known as Nakilat and with a liquefied natural gas fleet of 69 vessels, reported a jump in net profits as the company’s ships satisfied rising global demand.

Indian liquefied natural gas imports dropped by almost 11 percent as prices edged higher along with domestic gas output and the nation’s gas demand remained lukewarm.

Italian energy major Eni has delivered the first commercial liquefied natural gas shipment to the nation’s fourth import terminal at the Tuscan port of Piombino.

Leading LNG producer ExxonMobil Corp. is continuing apace with its oil and natural gas ventures and has made a final investment decision for the multi-billion-dollar Yellowtail development offshore the South American nation of Guyana after receiving government and regulatory approvals.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the group of leading LNG exporting nations and gas producers based in Qatar and known as the OPEC of natural gas, has just held a virtual ministerial meeting and discussed the prices issue while warnings that over-green policies could lead to energy crises.

TechnipFMC said it was launching a placement of 16 million shares in Technip Energies, one of the world’s leading liquefied natural gas engineering companies, representing around 9 percent of the outstanding share capital of Technip Energies.

Qatar Petroleum has signed a 10-year Sale and Purchase Agreement with Royal Dutch Shell for the supply of 1 million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas to China.

The shipments will commence in January 2022 to various Chinese regasification terminals.

“We are pleased to enter into this new LNG SPA with our trusted partner Shell,” said Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and the President and Chief Executive of Qatar Petroleum.

“I am especially delighted that this agreement will meet part of the demand of Shell's end customers in China, thereby further supplementing Qatar's contribution to meeting China's growing energy needs,” added Al-Kaabi.

The Qataris believe that the SPA with Shell to supply China further highlighted their ability to meet the requirements of customers and partners across the world.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the management and staff of Shell for the successful conclusion of this SPA, which is another testament to our long and fruitful partnership,” stated Al-Kaabi.

The Qatari Minister also thanked Sheikh Khalid Khalifa Al Thani, the CEO of Qatargas, and his team for their valuable contributions to reinforce Qatar's position in the LNG market.

Qatar plans to supply the LNG volumes contracted under this agreement from its Qatargas I venture, which will become 100 percent owned by Qatar Petroleum as of January 2022.

The Qatargas I joint venture, also comprising ExxonMobil, France’s TotalEnergies and Japanese firms Marubeni Corp. Mitsui & Co. will have been on stream for 25 years in 2022.

“China is considered a major customer for the State of Qatar and a strategic partner in the energy sector,” said the statement.

“With the conclusion of this agreement, China will be supplied with approximately 12 MPTA of LNG under long-term SPAs from Qatar,” it added.

Qatar Petroleum is in the midst preparations for LNG expansion and its various projects, including the North Field South venture, will cost around $35 billion spread over the next five years, though the Qataris will have several equity partners from the energy majors and whose names have yet to be disclosed.

The expansion of output at the Ras Laffan LNG plant will comprise the construction of four Trains for liquefaction to take the Arab Gulf state’s output from 77 million tonnes per annum up to 110 MTPA.

Qatar is additionally considering boosting capacity beyond the 126 MTPA with a future second expansion already announced.

Air Products, the US provider of LNG equipment with new liquefaction contracts for Qatar, Mozambique and Mexico, has opened a new hydrogen fueling station at its industrial gases facility in Ulsan City in South Korea.