LNG

In an agreement signed at Gastech this week, ABS and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) are to collaborate on a next generation LNGC in a joint development project (JDP).

During the past couple of weeks, GTT has received several orders to design the tanks for LNGCs.

Knutsen OAS Shipping has chosen AkzoNobel’s patented Intershield 300 and Intersleek foul release technologies for the company’s latest LNGCs being built at HHI. 

The first LNGC ‘Adriano Knutsen’ has already been delivered and the next, ‘Rias Baixas Knutsen’ is scheduled to be delivered this month.

“Knutsen have used Intershield 300 on our vessels for a long time,” said Oliver Smith, Project Manager, Knutsen OAS Shipping. “The reason Knutsen applied Intershield 300 on our new LNGCs is because we knew that in the long term, we were able to benefit from the lower maintenance cost. When we have inspected the ballast tanks every five years for our vessels in service having Intershield 300, the number of repairs has been very minimal.”

“We’re delighted that our high-performing marine coatings were selected for Knutsen’s latest LNG vessels and proud that our experience and capability in coatings for LNG continues to be recognised,” said Jean-Michel Gauthier, Director of AkzoNobel’s Marine and Protective Coatings business. “That Intersleek was the industry’s first biocide-free foul release coating when it was released in 1996 shows we have long been the front-runner for this technology and that customers can be confident in the significant track record and qualities of the International product range.

Hyomin Ha, HHI Professional Engineer & Shipbuilding Senior Engineer for the Naval Architect Design Co-ordination Department, Shipbuilding Business Unit, said: “We took on this project as we were confident in applying Intersleek 1100SR for newbuilding projects. Even though it was complex to coat fluoropolymer and silicone-based coatings, we were able to establish internal standard procedures to apply these coatings and minimise disruption.”

Shareholders in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project are to build their own LNG plant at De Kastri, which could supply LNG to Japan.

Singapore-based Sembcorp Marine Repairs & Upgrades has won three new gas ship projects.

BW LNG, part of BW Group, held a naming ceremony for two new LNGCs on 7th September.

The 174,000 cu m vessels, named ‘BW Pavilion Aranda’ (H2489) and ‘BW Magnolia’ (H2490), were built at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).

‘BW Pavilion Aranda’ is to be delivered this week when she will go on a long-term charter to Singapore’s Pavilion Energy, while.’BW Magnolia’, is scheduled for delivery in December, 2019, when she will start a long-term charter to UK-based oil major BP.

They are the third and fourth out of a series of seven newbuildings.

BW LNG said that these vessels are fitted with MEGI propulsion and state-of-the-art reliquefaction systems.

LNG Journal editor

Qatar Petroleum said its decision to self-finance the North Field natural gas and Ras Laffan LNG expansion, to tender for contractors and drill appraisal wells before offering partnerships was part of its strategy to show the value of its assets.

Naturgy Energy Group, the Spanish utility with major US and Russian liquefied natural gas supply contracts as well as global gas and power businesses, has launched a system allowing onshore connection and loading of LNG from a carrier without the need for facilities at the destination port. 

The Naturgy device has been registered as “LNGonWheels” and it has obtained a patent from the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.

The Spanish utility said LNGonWheels is an alternative solution to the problems of LNG supply in those areas where either there are no storage and distribution facilities for the fuel or the construction of such infrastructure is not economic.

“Naturgy's LNGonWheels solution consists of a device designed to transport tanks with a new module (the patent core) that allows the connection and loading of these tanks from an LNG vessel,” explained the company.

The technology has been granted a patent as a “liquefied natural gas transport and distribution system” and is registered with the number ES-2672254 B2.

“This patent recognizes the inventive activity of the LNGonWheels methodology itself, which consists of unloading LNG from a vessel to a tanker truck-barge which moves to land and subsequently returns once the fuel has been distributed to the end-user,” said Naturgy.

The tanker truck can then again be sent ashore on the barge to restart the process.

Naturgy’s Head of LNG Projects Engineering & Technology, José Miguel Moreno, said the system will have positive impacts for the environment by bringing areas with difficult access into the logistic chains with maritime LNG supplies.

Moreno added that the system also allows more polluting fuels such as diesel or fuel oil to be replaced by cleaner LNG and regasified natural gas.

Naturgy is one of the companies that have signed 20-year agreements for US cargoes from Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi plants and is also a main contract holder for cargoes from the Yamal LNG plant in Arctic Russia operated by natural gas company Novatek.

The US and Russian volumes were booked under Naturgy's previous name, Gas Natural Fenosa.

The Spanish company’s diverse LNG supply portfolio also includes shipments from nations such as Algeria, Qatar and Nigeria. The company additionally owns a small fleet of LNG carriers.

The LNGonWheels solution has been devised by the Naturgy team of professionals who created DirectLinkLNG, subsequently developed by the technical team to the level of obtaining “Approval in Principle” from the American Bureau of Shipping, the US classification society.

“This latest solution reinforces Naturgy's innovative position in LNG, opening markets where until now it has not been possible to distribute LNG and allowing any type of end-user to access all the economic, energy and environmental advantages of using natural gas,” stated Naturgy.

LNG Journal editor

Nigeria LNG has finally signed a letter of intent for the engineering, procurement and construction contract with a consortium of companies from Italy, Japan and South Korea to proceed with the construction of a seventh liquefaction Train.

The US Potential Gas Committee (PGC), a body made up of more than 800 experienced volunteer geoscientists and engineers and the American Gas Association (AGA), have announced that the nation has a 3,374 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) natural gas resource base, boosted by expanding shale-gas reserves in key basins.