Bonny Gas News

Since its first day of operations in May 17, 1989, the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG)  has recorded no fewer than 45 vessels chartered-in and five chartered out, said a report in ThisDay. The chartered-in including liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate carriers for shipment of its products to buyers across the globe. The chartered-out of its own vessels is for other operators in the market. The company’s assets are now worth over $13bn, a press release from NLNG quoted Tony Attah, Managing Director as saying. He said the NLNG had been able to generate $85bn in revenue. The company has positioned itself…

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) will this month receive the last of the six new vessels it bought for the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to various parts of the world, says a report in The Nation. Five of the six vessels were already delivered between November last year and March this year, said NLNG Managing Director, Babs Omotowa. He added that  the acquisition of the new ships became imperative as Train plant approaches nameplate capacity and LNG cargoes currently delivered to distant destinations across the world increases in response to changing business opportunities. To meet this demand, he said an arm of the NLNG…

Wärtsilä has signed a five-year maintenance agreement with the Nigerian gas transportation company Bonny Gas Transport Limited, (BGT), a subsidiary of Nigeria LNG Limited. Wärtsilä will monitor and service the engines on board the BGT's six new LNG carriers and deliver spare parts, as well as expertise for inspections and major service overhauls. The contract marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation between Wärtsilä and BGT, and is the first of its kind for Wärtsilä in Africa. Nigeria LNG Limited exports most of its cargo to the European Asian markets. The six LNG carriers are equipped with five Wärtsilä 50DF engines each and operate primarily on gas.

Braemar Engineering  announced that it has been appointed to act as Shipping Consultants to Bonny Gas Transport, the wholly owned subsidiary of Nigeria LNG (NLNG) responsible for the transport of NLNG’s output over the Atlantic to Europe and the Americas. Braemar Engineering will oversee the building of six LNG carriers, from design to delivery, with completion of the project anticipated at the end of 2016. Steel cutting on the first of the project’s LNG carriers took place on April 25 at Samsung’s Geoje shipyard in South Korea.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is one of the fastest growing energy markets worldwide, and global production capacity could be more than double by the end of the decade. Higher natural gas prices and growing efficiencies in the LNG value chain are making it economically attractive to ship LNG over long distances, transforming natural gas from a regional to a global market. GE’s Power Conversion business is working closely together as a partner with the Power & Control Systems division (PCSD) of Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI). Power Conversion has been appointed to equip four LNG carriers to be built by SHI at its Geoje facility in South Korea. SHI, one of the world’s largest ship builders, is a leader in the market with its LNG carriers and ultra-large container ships.

Damen Shiprepair Brest contracted to dry-dock a high-quality trio of Scandinavian tankers, other work too in a busy yard. After the successful execution of the contracts on the Bonny Gas Transport ‘LNG Sokoto’ and the LNG carrier ‘Lalla Fatma N’Soumer’, Damen Shiprepair Brest has contracted three new dry docking operations. The Finnish Suezmax Tanker ‘Alfa Brittania’, the Norwegian Suezmax Tanker ‘Erviken’ and the Swedish VLCC ‘Stena Perros’ will docking early/mid November 2012.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) awarded a second firm booking for the drydocking, maintenance & repair of the LNG carrier ‘Lalla Fatma N’Soumer’. The Hyproc Shipping owned and managed 80,920 dwt vessel will arrive end-September, straight after the shipyard has completed the Bonny Gas Transport ‘LNG SOKOTO’ contract. Jos Goris, Managing Director of Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSB), says: “We are very pleased with this order, which followed very quickly after the LNG SOKOTO because it ensures the uninterrupted continuation of our LNG activities.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) gets its first order to drydock large LNG carrier for repairs. The Bonny Gas Transport-owned, 79,822 DWT ‘LNG SOKOTO’ has arrived at the yard for maintenance work, including drydocking. Jos Goris, managing director of Damen Shiprepair Brest, says: “We are very pleased with this order and we expect more LNG vessel owners to follow. The yard’s workforce is experienced in repairing LNG vessels and it is good to see this business returning to Brest”. The vessel is managed by London-based Shell International Trading & Shipping Company Ltd.

First LNG Booking for Damen Shiprepair Brest. Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) received her first firm booking for the drydocking, maintenance and repair of an LNG carrier. The Bonny Gas Transport-owned, 79,822 DWT ‘LNG SOKOTO’ will arrive at the yard end of August for maintenance work, including drydocking. Jos Goris, managing director of Damen Shiprepair Brest, says: “We are very pleased with this order and we expect more LNG vessel owners to follow. The yard’s workforce is experienced in repairing LNG vessels and it is good to see this business returning to Brest”.

Bureau Veritas launched a unique Condition Assessment Program for LNG carriers. The CAP works in a similar way to existing Harmonized CAP programs for oil tankers, but has special requirements unique to LNG carriers. Speaking at the SIGTTO annual meeting in San Francisco today, Bruno Dabouis, commercial manager of BV said, "The LNG market is opening up and there are signs that a spot market for LNG carriers may further develop. That means charterers need to be able to demonstrate that they have taken special care when chartering in older vessels, a new phenomenon in the LNG market. Bureau Veritas, the only classification society present in all types of LNG containment systems and propulsion systems…

Shipbuilding leaders convened in Washington, D.C. recently to discuss the means and methods to propel the U.S. shipbuilding market at the dawn of the new millennium. Under the auspices of seeking a candid and creative discussion regarding the country's shipbuilding future, the U.S. Maritime Administration sponsored a seminar on April 5, dubbed, "Marketing Issues and Challenges Facing the U.S. Attended by industry executives from most of the country's premier facilities, the conference was held on Wednesday, April 5, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City, Va. Stressing the pressures of competition form the lucrative Asian shipbuilding powerhouses of Japan, China and Korea, many conference speakers mulled and brainstormed ways that the U.S. shipbuilders could recapture market share.

Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (Shell) has become the first ship operator to install Lloyd’s Register’s Hull Integrity system onboard one of its managed vessels, the 134,487 cubic metre Nigeria LNG gas carrier, LNG Rivers - a Bonny Gas Transport (BGT) owned vessel. In the next few months, the software will also be installed on sister ships LNG Sokoto and LNG Bayelsa, which are also owned by BGT. Hull Integrity is a new service from Lloyd’s Register that helps owners and operators to manage the structural integrity of their ships. It enables them to demonstrate that sound structural inspection programs are being employed, using well-trained staff who are given the tools to identify what to look for and how to report it. • user-friendly software for recording and analysis.