Natural Gas Supplies News

Poland's Orlen has signed a contract with state-owned pipeline operator Gaz-System for the regasification of up to 58 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes per year at a planned floating gas terminal, the energy company said on Friday.Poland has turned to seaborne LNG as well as gas piped from Norway via Denmark and the Baltic Sea to replace supply from Russia.The planned terminal is to be built on the Baltic Sea near Gdansk by the end of 2027 with an initial regasification capacity…

Crown LNG Holdings AS, a provider of LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal technologies for harsh weather locations, has agreed to merge with Catcha Investment Corp, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, that would result in Crown becoming a U.S. publicly listed company. The combined company, named Crown LNG Holdings Limited (“PubCo”), intends to apply to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “CGBS”.Crown designs and…

Major energy traders are taking hundreds of millions of dollars in losses as they scramble to plug a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply gap after several outages hampered efforts to fill European storage ahead of the winter heating season.Unplanned disruptions at LNG plants in the United States, Nigeria and Australia have wrong-footed traders, including BP and Shell, forcing them to pay inflated costs for alternative supplies.In a market already struggling to meet global demand for natural gas after Russia sharply reduced pipeline supplies into Europe, the lost LNG cargoes which can be transported by ship, have pushed global prices sharply…

The German government on Thursday signed agreements for the charters of four floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), as it works to become less reliant on Russian gas, as FSRUs will enable it to import LNG from other sources.The agreements were signed for the charters of two FSRUs owned by Oslo-listed firm Hoegh LNG, and two owned by Dynagas. Hoegh LNG FSRUs will be operated by RWE, while Uniper has facilitated the charter of two FSRUs managed by Dynagas Ltd.Höegh LNG said that the detailed FSRU contracts with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action…

Germany's Tree Energy Solutions (TES), backed by Belgian firm AtlasInvest, said on Wednesday it would accelerate plans for a gas import terminal to be built at the northern German port of Wilhelmshaven in partnership with E.ON.It said it was bringing the project forward by about two years because of an energy crisis, which has been fueled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The terminal, to be built by 2025, would be used to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transitional energy…

There are only 15 km (9 miles) left to finish the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that bypasses Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.The $11 billion project doubling the capacity of the first Nord Stream pipeline to 110 billion cubic meters a year has been a focal point of tensions between Moscow and the West.Despite U.S. sanctions, Nord Stream 2 is almost complete and the key question is how Russia will ship its gas to Europe once a current…

Mexico on Friday began discharging the first of at least four cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bought under emergency to ease gas scarcity and power cuts at its Northern states after a cold snap hit supplies via pipeline from the U.S. South.The Marshall Island tanker Flex Courageous carrying U.S. LNG docked on Friday at the Manzanillo terminal on the Pacific Coast, Refinitiv Eikon data showed. The vessel is expected to discharge about 162,850 cubic meters that the government plans to supply to several power plants.A second cargo also from the United States on the tanker Seri Balhaf is waiting to discharge about 151,300 cubic meters of LNG at Mexico's Altamira terminal on the Gulf Coast…

LNG imports to Poland via the Świnoujście LNG Terminal  keep rising and stood at 3.4 billion cubic metres in 2019 after regasification, up from 2.7 bcm the year before."The first quarter of 2020 will see peak activity in terms of LNG deliveries. By the end of March this year alone we are to receive ten cargoes coming in from different directions,” said Jerzy Kwieciński, President of the PGNIG S.A. Management Board.The long-term take-or-pay contract with Gazprom via the Yamal pipeline means Russia is still Poland’s dominant supplier. However, the contract expires in 2022.“With respect to natural gas supplies from Russia we are bound by the ‘take or pay’ clause in the Yamal contract, which means that we have to collect from Gazprom at least 8.7 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp signed a 15-year agreement with Qatar Petroleum to import three million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) each year starting from 2022.The agreement was signed by Dr. Khaled A. Al-Fadhel, the Minister of Oil and the Minister of Electricity & Water, the Chairman of the Board of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, during a special ceremony held in Kuwait City.Under the 15-year agreement, LNG deliveries to Kuwait’s new world-class LNG receiving terminal at Al-Zour Port will commence in 2022 to support meeting Kuwait’s growing energy needs and demand…

Japanese natural gas distribution company Saibu Gas and Russian LNG project operator Novatek revealed plans to form a joint venture.Novatek announced that it has signed the Heads of Agreement (HoA) with Saibu Gas in the presence of the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin.According to the Agreement, the Parties intend to establish a joint venture focused on marketing LNG and natural gas to end customers and developing the business for bunkering and gas-fired power generation in Japan and the Asian region, as well as constructing and operating a new LNG storage tank at the Hibiki LNG terminal.“We have made another important step forward in implementing our strategy to enter the end customer market in key gas consuming countries…

Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer Novatek signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation with India’s largest liquefied natural gas importer Petronet LNG.The MoU envisages delivering LNG supplies from Novatek's portfolio to the Indian market, including natural gas supplies for power generation, as well as investment by Petronet LNG in Novatek's future LNG projects and the joint marketing of LNG as motor fuel in India, including joint investment in developing a network of filling stations and a fleet of LNG-fueled trucks.“India’s rapid economic growth requires increasing demand for all sources of energy and, primarily, for natural gas as the most environmentally friendly type of fuel.

Rosneft and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) signed the package of documents assuming the delivery to the port of Tema (Ghana) over 12 years of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the volume of ca. 1.7 mmtpa (or 250 mln standard cubic feet per day), its regasification using the processing capacities of Tema terminal in order to subsequently supply the natural gas to GNPC. The obligations of the parties arising from the above documents will come into effect once they are approved by the Boards of Directors of the parties. Rosneft gas supplies will allow to satisfy a quarter of Ghana's energy demand, strengthen its energy security and reinforce the country's position as the key LNG hub in the region.

Ports in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates' barred ships flying Qatari flags after the two countries broke off diplomatic ties with Doha, in a move that raised fears of disruption to oil and gas shipments from the Gulf OPEC member. The Saudi Ports Authority has notified shipping agents not to accept vessels flying Qatari flags or ships owned by Qatari companies or individuals, it said on its Twitter account on Monday, adding that Qatari goods would not be allowed to be unloaded in Saudi ports. "Vessels flying the flag of Qatar or vessels destined to or arriving from Qatar ports are not allowed to call on the Port of Fujairah or Fujairah Offshore Anchorage regardless of the nature of their call until further notice…

Poland will receive its first liquefied natural gas supplies (LNG) from the United States in mid-June as a result of a deal Polish gas firm PGNiG signed with Cheniere Energy, state-run PGNiG said on Thursday. Cheniere Energy will make the spot delivery at the Swinoujscie terminal on the Baltic Sea. Poland, which consumes around 15-16 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually, built its first LNG terminal in Swinoujscie as part of a bigger plan to reduce reliance on gas it imports from Russia's Gazprom. The terminal, which started commercial operations in 2016, has a capacity of 5 bcm per year. Since then it has been receiving LNG from Qatargas, which in March agreed to double deliveries to 2 million tonnes (3 bcm) per year. It also took one delivery on the spot market from Norway.

NextDecade LLC has signed lease agreements with the State of Texas and City of Texas City for a close to 1,000-acre site at Shoal Point for the potential development of a multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility. Texas City owns almost 376 acres at Shoal Point, while the Texas General Land Office manages the adjoining 618 acres of state land. The agreement comes as the State of Texas continues to draw international attention following significant new natural gas finds totaling over 90 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 2016 and as global buyers increasingly seek new, long-term competitive natural gas supplies to support their energy needs. “Now more than ever, the U.S.

Thailand is increasing its planned long-term imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet rising demand after delays to the construction of coal-fired power plants, a senior official at energy ministry said on Wednesday. Energy policy makers have revised their target of LNG imports to 17.4 million tonnes in 2022 and reaching 34 million tonnes a year by 2036, up from earlier planned 23 million tonnes, Twarath Sutabutr, Director-General of the ministry's Energy Policy and Planning Office, told a news conference. "Natural gas supplies in the Gulf of Thailand will drop in the future. Thailand needs to accelerate LNG imports," Twarath said, adding the plan was subject to final approval from the national energy policy committee next month.

According to Wood Mackenzie Ltd, Europe is set to be the key destination for liquefied natural gas supplies from the U.S. after prices fell in Asia, the world’s biggest consumer of the fuel says a report in Bloomberg. The U.S. is forecast to ship about 55 percent of its total LNG production, or 32 million metric tons a year, to Europe by 2020, according to Alex Munton, the Houston-based principal analyst for Americas LNG at Wood Mackenzie. That’s because Europe is so close, has ample import capacity and liquid markets, and now has prices nearer to those in Asia. Wood Mackenzie’s Chong Zhi Xin says: “In 2015, weak market environment forced companies to adjust strategies and tactics.

LNG exports from Sabine Pass to start in January. Cheniere Energy expects to start receiving natural gas to convert into super-chilled liquid fuel at its first U.S. LNG export terminal before the end of the year, with shipments to start in January, its chief executive said on Monday. Cheniere's plant will mark the first exports of cheap and abundant U.S. shale gas as liquefied natural gas (LNG), adding to a huge boost in output out of Australia as well. The ample supplies, combined with slowing growth in China and falling demand in top importers Japan and South Korea, have cut prices and prompted a battle for market share. First natural gas supplies will arrive at its U.S.

Shell said on Friday that its Nigerian joint venture lifted its force majeure on natural gas supplies to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Co (NLNG) after repairing a pipeline. The force majeure was put in place on Aug. 4 after the company discovered a leak on the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS-1). "The leak was caused by a crude theft connection, apparently installed by people who thought the line was transporting crude oil," a spokesman for Shell said in an emailed statement. Reporting By Julia Payne

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Martin Houston, Chairman of Live Oak LNG, has announced a new natural gas liquefaction and export project, up to a $2 billion investment, to be developed in the Calcasieu waterway. The $2 billion plant will be located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel and will create 100 direct jobs and 385 indirect jobs, the governor said. The permanent jobs will pay an average salary of about $75,000. About 1,000 construction workers will be hired. The mid-sized project is being designed for a plant capacity of up to five million tonnes per annum production and will include two 130,000 m3 storage tanks, and port facilities with a jetty for standard size liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

Russian natural gas producer Gazprom said on Saturday it had received a prepayment of $378.22 million from Ukraine for natural gas supplies, paving the way for the first shipments to Kiev since Moscow cut supplies in June. Ukraine's state energy firm, Naftogaz, said on Friday it had transferred the sum to Gazprom for December. A Gazprom spokesman confirmed the money had been received. In line with a deal signed by Naftogaz and Gazprom in October, flows to Ukraine from Russia, which were severed in a dispute over prices and debts, will resume within 48 hours from when the Russian firm receives the transfer. Naftogaz did not say how much gas it planned to buy, but earlier the energy ministry said this could be about 1 billion cubic metres.

Moscow hosted today a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Taner Yildiz, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey. The meeting addressed the issues of strategic partnership, in particular, the prospects for cooperation deepening in natural gas supplies from Russia to Turkey. The parties noted that Turkey was among top consumers of Russian 'blue fuel' for many years and Russia, in its turn, was a reliable provider of natural gas for the Turkish economy, thus covering nearly 60 per cent of the country's total consumption. The Blue Stream gas pipeline is important for ensuring stable gas supplies to Turkey.

The European Commission cancelled a news conference planned to follow talks between Russia and Ukraine on gas supplies on Wednesday, saying negotiations in Brussels were continuing late into the evening. All three parties had been hoping to conclude a deal on resuming Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine over the winter but differences over payments have been hampering their efforts to reach agreement. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mark Heinrich)