In this issue

 

Osaka Gas Co., one of Japan’s largest liquefied natural gas buyers with long-term contracts to receive cargoes from nations such as Qatar and Australia, said it was in talks with…
Our Europe editor French energy company Total said its US subsidiary would exercise its pre-emption right to acquire the 75 percent interests in a Barnett Shale operating area located in…
Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which recently said it would take a final investment decision on the Mozambique liquefied natural gas export project in southeast Africa when political and financial uncertainly ended,…
Dutch company has earmarked LNG storage as a strategic focus Our Europe editor Belgian shipping company Exmar said it was continuing to discuss the acquisition by Royal Vopak of the…
Our Asia-Pacific editor Australia Pacific LNG project in Queensland, owned by ConocoPhillips, China’s Sinopec and Origin Energy, has signed an agreement for APA Group, the nation’s biggest gas transporter, to…
The US Rio Grande LNG export project In Texas being developed by former Royal Dutch Shell LNG executive Kathleen Eisbrenner and her NextDecade company has received authorization from the Department…
Our Europe editor French energy company Engie and two Japanese partners have advanced their bunkering joint venture plans by launching Gas4Sea, a new brand to market liquefied natural gas as…
Carnival Corporation, the US cruise ship operator, has signed an agreement with the German and Finnish shipbuilders, Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku, to deliver three additional cruise vessels that will…
Our Asia-Pacific editor General Electric Marine Solutions and China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding have received approval in principle from US classification society, the America Bureau of Shipping, for a jointly developed liquefied…
UK maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register has been awarded a crucial role in oil and gas development strategies in Cyprus, where liquefied natural gas production is being considered onshore and…
Our Asia-Pacific editor Energy World Corp., the Australian-listed Asia-Pacific natural gas and power company based in Hong Kong, said the first LNG import terminal in the Philippines is almost complete…
Bahrain Oil and Gas Holding Co. and Russia’s Gazprom have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on energy and liquefied natural gas during a visit to Moscow by the…
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the nation's export-import credit agency, said it planned to lend $400 million to the Yamal LNG project in Arctic Russia because some of the…
MEO Australia, the exploration and production company with retained liquefied natural gas project plans in the Tassie Shoal offshore northwest Australia and oil interests in Cuba, said its LNG project…

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.