In this issue

 

Our Europe editor Gas Natural Fenosa and the Spanish Gas Association are taking over as the General Secretariat of the International Gas Union (IGU) for a period of six years…
US natural gas marketed production is forecast to decline for the first time since 2005 and growing domestic gas consumption, along with higher liquefied natural gas exports and pipeline deliveries…
Our North America editor in New York Cheniere Energy is on its way to reaping the rewards of the liquefied natural gas industry and low US shale-gas prices as it…
Our North America editor in New York Dominion Resources said its Cove Point liquefied natural gas export plant on Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland was three-quarters built and…
Sempra Energy, the California utility and liquefied natural gas developer, said its Cameron LNG export project in Louisiana was facing construction delays because of heavy rains affecting work schedules and…
Our Europe editor Royal Dutch Shell said LNG sales volumes for the third quarter amounted to 15.23 million tonnes and were 54 percent higher than for the same quarter a…
Royal Dutch Shell and energy partners from Singapore and the UK have started a drilling programme covering two wells as part of the possible development of a liquefied natural gas…
Our Asia-Pacific editor China Petroleum and Chemical Corp., known as Sinopec, has taken delivery of its first dedicated vessel to ship cargoes from the Australian Pacific LNG plant in the…
The Latin American state of Colombia could soon be receiving US LNG cargoes from the Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana as its first import facility prepares to start operations after…
Our Asia-Pacific editor Chevron Corp. and its Wheatstone LNG project partners in Western Australia will need to provide additional investment as completing the delayed venture is expected to cost US$5…
LNG Ltd., the Australian LNG project developer, said it was continuing to follow a marketing-led strategy for its two North American export projects on the US Gulf Coast and Canada…
Belgian shipping company Exmar said it was continuing to discuss the acquisition by Royal Vopak of the Netherlands, the global petroleum storage company, of its LNG Floating Storage and Regasification…
Belgian shipping company Exmar said it was continuing to discuss the acquisition by Royal Vopak of the Netherlands, the global petroleum storage company, of its LNG Floating Storage and Regasification…
OLT Offshore LNG Toscana, the Italian owner of the import facility deployed offshore the Mediterranean coast, will again provide peak-shaving services for the natural gas network and has launched a…

News Nudges

Sabah to invest in Petronas’ FLNG project

Sabah is to sign an agreement with PETRONAS that would see the state acquire a 40% stake in an FLNG project. Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, said the deal was made possible through a co-operation agreement previously signed with the Malaysian energy giant to enable the state government to participate more actively in Sabah's oil and gas industry. “We have successfully reached an agreement with PETRONAS, and in the next few months, we will sign an agreement under which Sabah will receive a 40% stake in the state's floating LNG project. “In Sandakan, PETRONAS has secured an oil and gas field, and Sabah will receive a 20% stake in the project there,” he said, adding that the state and its people stood to benefit significantly from the strong relationship between the state and federal governments. He claimed that Sabah continued to attract growing investor interest, due to the state government's investor-friendly policies.


MISC wins LNG contract - orders vessel

Malaysia’s PETRONAS’ shipping arm, MISC has secured a 10-year contract from Malaysia LNG (MLNG) to provide long-term LNG shipping services. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, MISC said it had received a letter of award from MLNG for the vessel's long-term timecharter, with the operation expected to start in 2028. As a result, MISC has signed a contract with China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding to build a small-scale 18,000 cu m LNGC. "The project is strategically important as it supports PETRONAS' continued LNG supply to Sendai City, Japan, reinforcing a long-standing partnership of nearly 30 years and ensuring the reliable delivery of LNG to meet the customer's long-term energy needs,” MISC said in the filing.


Golar closes $600 mill credit facility

Golar LNG Limited has closed a new $600 mill senior secured revolving credit facility (RCF). The RCF further strengthens Golar’s balance sheet flexibility and facilitates further FLNG growth, the company claimed. It was secured by Golar’s investment in the MKII FLNG currently being converted in China to serve a 20-year contract with Argentina’s Southern Energy. The facility received strong backing from a consortium of banks including ABN AMRO, Citibank, Danske Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, Golar said.


Silversteam ALS success

London-based engineering design company, Silverstream has installed more than 160 air lubrication systems (ALS) worldwide, which have found favour on LNGCs, plus other vessel types. The latest fitting involve two Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs), which brought the total up to 164 vessels fitted with the technology. This growth in the number of installations reflects the shipping industry’s commitment to air lubrication, as an independently verified technology that delivers immediate fuel and emissions reductions, Silverstream claimed. Reflecting on this significant milestone for the company, Noah Silberschmidt, Founder and CEO, said: “Reaching more than 160 vessels on the water is a significant achievement and I am grateful to our customers, colleagues and partners who have played a huge role in this success. “Shipowners increasingly look for solutions that can provide a hedge against rising fuel costs by reducing fuel consumption and emissions immediately. The growth of our installed fleet shows that air lubrication is a trusted and proven part of future-proofing strategies,” he said.