In this issue

 

Our Asia-Pacific editor Chevron Corp. said it signed a preliminary accord with Chinese energy company ENN LNG Trading to supply cargoes over 10 years from the Australian Gorgon project currently…
Sanchez Energy, the Houston-based company planning the first LNG project targeting shale-gas from the Eagle Ford play in South Texas, said it made further progress in the fourth quarter with…
Our North America editor Australian LNG and energy engineering company Clough Ltd has named Peter Bennett as its new Chief Executive after hiring him from US company CB&I where he…
EDF Trading, a unit of the French utility and energy company, has named Sophie Ducoloner as a senior manager in its liquefied natural gas division after hiring her from Russia's…
UK-based LNG and energy engineering Amec Foster Wheeler has begun its search for a new Chief Executive to replace Samir Brikho, who is stepping down amid a structural overhaul in…
Our Europe editor BG Group of the UK said its LNG Shipping & Marketing business delivered 282 cargoes during 2015, an increase of 58 percent on 2014, in difficult market…
Our North America editor A United States plan to help build liquefied natural gas infrastructure to coincide with increased LNG carrier traffic on the expanded waterway with US companies sought…
Our Asia-Pacific editor Origin Energy, a stakeholder in the Australia Pacific LNG plant in Queensland that recently shipped its first cargo, has issued a statement to the Sydney stock exchange…
PetroBangla, the state energy company of Bangladesh, is seeking expressions of interest from international and regional companies to set up two more liquefied natural gas import terminals.
A Canadian federal agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, has informed the nation's Environmental Assessment Agency that the Pacific NorthWest LNG project, led by Malaysia's Petronas, would have "a low potential"…
UK liquefied natural gas equipment company Parker Bestobell Marine has received an order to supply its cryogenic fuel-gas valves for newbuild tankers being built to run on LNG.
Eagle LNG Partners said it had chosen US equipment-maker Cosmodyne of California to install a small-scale liquefaction plant at its facilities in Jacksonville, Florida, to make fuel mainly for the…
Our North America editor Oregon LNG, one of two liquefaction and export plants proposed for the US Northwest, has refiled a lawsuit in the US District Court in Portland against…
Our Middle East editor Qatargas and RasGas of Qatar, the world’s largest producers, are manging to adapt to the new pricing and delivery requirements that have been the result of…

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.