LNG

QatarEnergy, the leading LNG exporter and developer of major new liquefaction projects, has celebrated the graduation of a new group of Qatari nationals who have successfully completed their academic studies and training programmes to join the workforces of QatarEnergy and other companies in the sector.

QatarEnergy said there were 89 graduates this year who will be taking up positions at the Arabian Gulf nation’s impressive list of 10 companies that have sprung from its developing of the oil and gas chain and its continuing pioneering of cleaner energy technology.

The companies are: QatarEnergy, Qatargas, North Oil Company, Oryx GTL, Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO), Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO), Qatar Fuel Additives Company (QAFAC), Qatar Aluminium (QATALUM), Qatar Chemical Company Ltd (Q-Chem), Qatar Fuel (Woqod) - as well as Shell Qatar.

In a speech to the graduates Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and Chief Executive of QatarEnergy, said the event made him proud and able to reflect on his own journey in the energy sector and the role ambition and hard work that play a role in reaching the highest ranks.

“I am pleased to congratulate you and your families on your graduation and on taking your first professional steps in the energy sector of the State of Qatar,” said Al-Kaabi.

“You have gone a long way to reach this stage in your lives, and now you stand before an important opportunity to work and earn a successful future in which you develop yourselves and put the interest of Qatar above everything,” he told the graduates.

Expansions

Al-Kaabi said Qatari energy industry graduates will be much needed as the nation embarks on projects such as the North Field East and North Field South expansion projects.

The initial expansions will raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 million tonnes per annum of LNG to 126 MTPA.

There will also be related projects to develop producing fields, petrochemicals, ammonia plants and other ventures.

“These are some of the projects that your companies are taking part in and in which many of you will find yourselves part of,” he explained.

“Therefore, you must have the ambition to reach your goals and to be the future leaders whom we can count on through your effort, sincerity, commitment and teamwork,” he added.

“Congratulations on your graduation, and I wish you all the very best,” declared Al-Kaabi.

At the end of the ceremony, the Minister and QatarEnergy chief handed certificates of appreciation to all graduates, along with symbolic gifts for outstanding graduates in their fields of specialization.

The ceremony was attended by many senior officials from QatarEnergy and energy sector companies.

Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), headquartered in Switzerland, said WinGD’s latest generation of X72DF-2.1 engines will power 25 vessels as part of the QatarEnergy’s North Field East (NFE) project, the biggest LNG carrier newbuilding project in history.

QatarEnergy has selected UK major Shell as the second international partner for the LNG expansion known as the North Field South (NFS) liquefaction and export joint venture.

Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French designer of maritime liquefied natural gas storage and fuel tanks, said it received an order from its partner, China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, for the tank design of the first four LNG carriers for the QatarEnergy expansion project on behalf of the Japanese shipowner, Mitsui Osk Lines.

The Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai is a subsidiary of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp.

MOL, which has an operating fleet of almost 100 LNG carriers, had ordered the ships in April 2022 as it also increases its interests in the Chinese LNG shipping market.

GTT will design the tanks of these four new LNG carriers with a total of LNG tank capacity of 174,000 cubic metres per ship and the vessels will be fitted with the latest membrane containment system developed by GTT.

The deliveries of the four vessels  to serve the Qatar expansion project is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024 and the second quarter of 2025.

MOL announced in April 2022 it had signed a long-term charter contract for four newbuild LNG carriers with QatarEnergy.

Track record

“MOL's solid track record in building LNG carriers in China in addition to its performance in the LNG carrier business and safety in navigation and cargo handling earned high regard from QatarEnergy, leading to the successful conclusion of the contract.” MOL said at the time.

QatarEnergy has been developing the North Field Expansion Project to boost its LNG ouput.

The North Field expansion will increase Qatar's LNG production capacity from 77 million tonnes per annum to 126 MTPA with the carrier fleet programme alongside, which could amount to 80 vessels, including the replacement of older ships in the current fleet.

The scope of the first phase of the expansion at the Ras Laffan production complex involves an additional four Trains, each with 8.0 MTPA of output.

Qatar has the southern portion of the North Field in Gulf waters that will provide the huge feed-gas resources and the other part of the field is under the jurisdiction of neighbouring Iran. 

The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) has released its most detailed version yet of a publication of operational guidelines to enhance safety during the marine bunkering of LNG fuel.

The SGMF said this third revision of “LNG as a marine fuel - Safety and Operational Guidelines - Bunkering” is the most comprehensive coverage of all aspects related to LNG bunkering operations.

“The maritime industry is increasingly adopting LNG as the fuel of choice for newbuild vessels,” said the Society.

“Together with the environmental performance LNG use provides, this growing trend is also the result of the considerable expansion of the LNG bunkering supply infrastructure,” it added.

“Facilities are now well established in most parts of the world, and there are more operational LNG bunkering vessels serving the industry than ever before,” stated the SGMF.

In anticipation of this growth and beyond, the safe use of LNG as a marine fuel has been a priority issue for SGMF.

Insights

“The information contained in this publication is gold dust for anyone bunkering an LNG fuelled ship,” said the Chairman of the SGMF Samir Bailouni, who is also Chief Operating Officer of Qatari gas shipping line Nakilat.

“These practices and insights are collated from the best the industry has to offer, and I extend my thanks to our members for providing this invaluable information not only for the benefit of the industry, but for society as a whole,” stated Bailouni.

The first published version of the SGMF’s LNG bunkering guidelines was in 2014 and it has now been “significantly updated and revised for 2022”.

The SGMF said the guidelines are recommended by the society as a “must have” for anyone engaged with any aspect of LNG bunkering.

“The safety track record of LNG bunkering operations has been exceptional and SGMF has played a leading role in developing a ‘safety first’ approach to bunkering operations through its publications, work, and influence,” declared the SGMF.

The SGMF noted that among its membership organisations there were tens of LNG bunkering ships operating with hundreds of ships using LNG between them and with LNG bunkering occurrences now in their thousands.

The publication covers not only actual operations, but also the actions and activities leading up to that final stage, making the bunkering efficient and safe.

“The overall aim of this new publication is to ensure that gas-fuelled ships can be bunkered safely, reliably, efficiently, and in an environmentally responsible way,” said Mark Bell, General Manager of the SGMF.

“The industry now has a comprehensive portfolio of publications for LNG as a marine fuel and the Society will continue to update them with good, if not the best, practice the industry has to offer,” he added.

July 16 (LNGJ) - Qatar Gas Transport Co., the fleet operator for Qatargas, posted a 15.5 percent increase in first-half net profit to 550 million Qatari riyals ($151M), up from the 476M riyals ($131M) recorded in the same six months last year. Additional revenues came from the strategic acquisition of the remaining 49.9 percent stakes in four Q-Flex LNG vessels in October 2019 by QGTC, also known as Nakilat. First-half revenues came to 2.02 billion riyal ($555.2M), an increase of 11.3 percent.

   “In these uncertain times, Nakilat remains committed in delivering value for our shareholders as we expand our international reach to meet the growing demand for energy transportation,” said Chief Executive Abdullah Al Sulaiti. “The company’s sustained financial performance bears testament to our ongoing strategy of enhancing efficiency, rationalizing expenditures and reducing operational and administrative costs,” added Al Sulaiti.

International Seaways, a leading US tanker company providing vessels mostly for the crude oil and petroleum products markets, has ended its LNG presence by selling its stake in four Q-Flex LNG carriers held in a joint venture with Qatar Gas Transport Co.

Qatar has said that qualified shipyards in South Korea were being invited to participate in a tender for the provision of newbuild slots for dozens of LNG carriers required for the expansion of the Gulf nation’s North Field resources and the building of up to four new processing Trains.

Oct 29 (LNGJ) - Qatar Gas Transport Co, also known as Nakilat, reported nine-month net profits of 659 million Qatari riyals ($181M), an increase of 8.5 percent compared with the same period of 2017. Nakilat’s core LNG shipping businesses was helped by an operational partnership with Royal Dutch Shell in the early years, though the vessels are now under Qatari control. Its fleet of almost 70 wholly and jointly-owned LNG vessels includes the Q-Flex and Q-Max carriers with up to 266,000 cubic metres capacity and four liquified petroleum gas carriers. “Nakilat’s improved financial performance bears testament to the company’s ongoing emphasis on enhancing efficiency, increasing productivity and pursuing growth strategies, without compromising safety and quality,” said Chief Executive Abdullah Fadhalah al-Sulaiti.