LNG

Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, the Oslo-listed and London-based owner of a small tanker fleet including for LNG through its stake in Avenir LNG, reported a second-quarter net profit of $113.3 million before an incremental loss provision of $155M related to the “MSC Flaminia” fire back in 2012.

Stolt-Nielsen Limited, the Oslo-listed and London-based owner of a small tanker fleet including for LNG through its stake in Avenir LNG, reported fiscal first quarter net profits of $99.8 million as it also sold a stake in LNG shipping firm CoolCo.

Stolt-Nielsen’s profits were well up on the $52.3M posted in the same three months last year.

Quarterly revenues were $708.7M compared with $606.2M in the prior-year quarter for a business that also spans energy storage, terminals, tank containers and fish farms as well as natural gas.

The Stolt-Nielsen Gas unit reported a wider operating loss of $3.4M compared with a loss of $2.9M.

CoolCo shares sold

During the quarter ending on February 28, 2023, the group said it disposed of 923,565 shares in shipping company CoolCo for $11.7M, resulting in a gain on the sale of $2.5M which has been transferred from the fair value reserve to retained earnings.

CoolCo is listed on the Euronext Growth Oslo exchange. Stolt-Nielsen also owns a stake in Golar LNG Limited.

Stolt-Nielsen is additionally a founder of Avenir LNG in 2018 and still holds its stake in Avenir, the owner of a small-scale import terminal on the Italian island of Sardinia and in a small-scale LNG carrier fleet.

The two other shareholders in Avenir are Norwegian shipping companies Golar and Höegh LNG.

In its earnings statement, Stolt-Nielsen said that the Stolt Tankers unit reported operating profit of $87.1M, up from $78.2M, largely driven by higher contract rates and improved spot volumes.

The Stolthaven Terminals business reported operating profit of $25.1M to the end of February 2023 versus the previous quarter’s $20.8M as operating revenue at the terminals in the US and Brazil improved.

Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen, Chief Executive of Stolt-Nielsen, said the quarter continued where 2022 ended with a solid performance from all businesses during what was typically the seasonally weakest quarter of the year.

“Stolt Tankers improved on the prior quarter results as we began to see the impact of contract renewals on our earnings. Results at Stolthaven Terminals improved on the back of continued high utilisation, although throughput volume was down slightly,” the CEO explained.

“At Stolt Tank Containers a decrease in container liner freight rates impacted the rates we charge our customers, and with the easing of logistics bottlenecks customers are returning tanks more quickly, reducing demurrage revenue,” he added.

June 30 (LNGJ) - Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, the Oslo-listed shipping-to-terminals company and shareholder in the Avenir LNG joint venture for small-scale carriers and other assets, reported an increased second-quarter net profit of $58.6 million with revenue of $689.1M compared with a net profit of $52.3M with revenues of $606.2M in the first quarter.

   “The positive momentum is continuing to build in the chemical tanker market. Our tanker trading team is standing firm on contract renewals and spot fixtures to capitalise on the tightening market, and we are moving in the right direction,” said Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen, Chief Executive.

Avenir LNG has helped organize the first LNG fuel delivery in the German Baltic Sea Port of Lübeck, supplying the TT-Line ferry company’s new RoPax vessel “Nils Holgersson”, which carriers vehicles, passengers and cargo.

Avenir said that to execute the operation it teamed up with Liquind 24/7 GmbH, a leading German LNG infrastructure provide, and Landwärme GmbH, one of Europe’s leading biomethane traders.

The fuel delivered to the “Nils Holgersson” in the bunkering operation was 10 percent BioLNG, made from waste.

Avenir is a joint venture owned by London-based Stolt-Nielsen and shipping company partners Höegh LNG and Golar LNG Ltd and is listed on the Oslo over-the-counter market.

The company said the first bunkering of the supply agreement was the start of a long-term cooperation between Avenir LNG and TT-Line for the supply of LNG and BioLNG to two new RoPax ferries that will transport passengers and cargo between Baltic Sea ports in Sweden, Germany, and Poland.

Avenir noted that population in the in the port of the region would be immediately benefitting from the environmental advantages of these vessels being powered with LNG with much reduced emissions.

“We are excited about this successful first delivery of LNG to TT-Line in Lübeck,” said Peter Mackey, Chief Executive of Avenir LNG.

“The fact that 10 percent of the delivery was Bio-LNG underlines the commitment of all parties involved to reducing emissions of shipping even further through the development of a suitable small-scale LNG infrastructure,” Mackey explained.

“Avenir is committed to the deployment of bunker vessels and the construction of new terminals, to improve the availability of environmentally friendly fuels for our customers across the marine, industry and logistics segments,” stated the Avenir CEO.

Christian Schneider, Managing Director of Liquidind 24/7, said the effective execution of this bunkering operation showed effective cooperation between different small-scale LNG frontrunners.

“Furthermore, the operation showed the logistical and technical capabilities that Liquidind 24/7 has developed in the past few years as a leading alternative fuel infrastructure provider in the German market,” added Schneider.

Landwärme’s CEO Zoltan Elek said that despite existing regulatory barriers BioLNG was the most viable solution for quickly reducing emissions in maritime transport.

“It helps guarantee energy security, as well as independence on the path to carbon neutrality,” added Elek.

March 31 (LNGJ) - Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, the Norwegian company which derives a small part of its income from the Avenir LNG joint venture with partners Höegh LNG and Golar LNG, reported first-quarter 2022 net profits of $52.3 million with revenues of $606.2M compared with a net profit of $35.0M and revenues of $593.M logged in the fourth quarter of 2021.

   The Stolt-Nielsen group operates in an array of businesses including tankers, terminals and gas. “Typically the first quarter of the year is the seasonally weakest quarter. However, this year the first quarter showed no signs of weakness as we posted our strongest quarterly results since 2008,” said Chief Executive Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen. “Stolt Tank Containers led the way with record earnings. Although shipment volumes were down, margins held firm, supported by our ability to secure space on containerships and higher demurrage revenue,” added the CEO.

Avenir LNG, the Norwegian-listed small-scale LNG project developer and vessel owner, has agreed to buy out the shareholdings of its Italian partners in the small-scale LNG terminal at Port of Oristano on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.

Avenir LNG, the Norwegian-listed small-scale LNG project developer and vessel owner, has entered into a long-term joint cooperation agreement (JCA) with Shanghai SIPG Energy Service Co.(SSES) a Chinese joint venture between Shanghai International Port Group and Shenergy Group.

Avenir LNG, the Norwegian-listed LNG operator and vessel owner, will charter one of its small-scale LNG carriers to Shell after it is delivered from a Chinese shipyard next year.

Avenir said it had entered into a Time Charter Party (TCP) with Shell North America LLC for the “Avenir Achievement”, a newbuild with 20,000 cubic metres capacity.

Avenir is a joint venture owned by London-based Stolt-Nielsen and partners Höegh LNG and Golar LNG Ltd.

The supply vessel is expected to be delivered to Avenir in the second quarter of 2022 and the time charter to Shell is expected to begin at the start of 2023 for a period of three years and with an option to extend for up to five years.

This charter, including options, increases Avenir’s overall vessel charter revenues backlog to $81.0 million as of December 2021.

“The vessel will be equipped with boil-off gas reliquefication and simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) capabilities, making her the world’s largest, most efficient and versatile LNG bunker supply vessel,” said Avenir.

Commenting on the deal, Peter Mackey, Chief Executive of Avenir, said he was delighted with the charter deal and to see “Avenir Achievement” playing an important role in expanding Shell’s LNG bunkering capabilities.

“This deal marks another major achievement in Avenir’s development as we fix the last vessel in our current newbuilding programme. We are thrilled to welcome a world-class organisation like Shell as the latest customer for Avenir,” added Mackey.

In its most recent earnings, Avenir posted a nine-month operating profit of $291,000 compared with an operating loss of $4.84 million in the same period of 2020.

There was a narrowing of Avenir’s net losses for the first nine months of 2021 to $1.28M versus $4.32M in the same prior-year period for the business focused on providing infrastructure to support the development of LNG as a marine fuel and supplying the off-grid power generation and transport fuel sectors.

Avenir’s revenues increased by $9.7M compared with the previous nine months of 2020 to $10.5M following the delivery of its first two small-scale LNG carriers, the “Avenir Advantage” and the “Avenir Accolade”, in October 2020 and March 2021 respectively.

Avenir LNG, the small-scale LNG supplier with an import terminal on the Italian island of Sardinia and a small fleet of vessels, has just reported a positive operating profit for the first nine months of 2021.

Oct 6 (LNG) - Stolt-Nielsen, the London-headquartered Norwegian company with interests including terminals, shipping and the Avenir small-scale LNG business, said third-quarter net profits rose to $33.5 million from revenues of $580.9M, an increase on the prior-year quarter’s earnings of $30.36M and revenues of $474.0M.

   “Momentum at Avenir LNG has accelerated with the commissioning of the Sardinia terminal and multiple ship deliveries throughout the second half of 2021, said Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen,company Chief Executive. “The first two vessels are already employed under solid charter arrangements with Petronas (Malaysia) and New Fortress Energy (USA). The third ship, ‘Avenir Aspiration’, now due for delivery, will enter into service to supply our HIGAS terminal in Sardinia, which began commercial operations in August,” added the CEO.