Gas Trader News

The suspension of the approval process for the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline by a German regulator could be short-lived as Europe is hungry for more gas, an analyst said on Monday after meeting officials of Russian state gas giant Gazprom.Last week, Germany's energy regulator temporarily halted the certification process for the new pipeline that will carry Russian gas into Europe, throwing up a new roadblock to the contentious project and driving up regional gas prices.German…

Energy trader Gunvor Group returned to profit in 2019 after its first net loss a year earlier, helped by record earnings in its U.S. division, and said business so far in 2020 remained strong.The Geneva-based firm, which reported a 2019 net profit of $381 million after a loss of $330 million in 2018, said on Tuesday it was also helped last year by earnings from gas trading and its European refining business.But the group, one of the world's top five oil traders, said revenue dipped to $75 billion in 2019 from $87 billion in 2018.Gunvor, which launched its U.S.

Tankers carrying U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) are on their way to China after Beijing started granting tax waivers to some importers, according to shipping and trade sources.This is the first time since March 2019 that shipments have resumed after a long-standing trade war that saw China raise tariffs on LNG imports from the United States to 25% last year.Four LNG tankers are currently en route to China after loading cargoes last month in the United States, ship-tracking data from Refinitiv and data intelligence firm Kpler showed.The tankers are expected to arrive in China between late April and early May, according to the data.

An oil tanker and a Norwegian navy frigate collided off Norway's west coast on Thursday, injuring eight people and triggering the temporary shutdown of a North Sea crude export terminal, Norway's top gas processing plant and several offshore fields.The frigate, which recently took part in a major NATO military exercise, was aground and tilting on one side, live television pictures showed. The Norwegian military was attempting to save the ship."We are working on stabilizing the vessel…

Lithuania's state-owned gas trader Lietuvos Duju Tiekimas (LDT) said on Monday it had signed a deal to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly from the United States for the first time and expects to receive a delivery in the second half of August. The deal is with a unit of Cheniere Energy and is part Lithuania's efforts to diversify its gas suppliers and reduce its reliance on Russia's Gazprom. LDT, part of state-owned energy group Lietuvos Energija, signed a deal last year with Koch Supply & Trading for LNG supplies throughout 2017. Cheniere Energy was expected to supply LNG from a U.S. field, an LDT spokesman told Reuters. "It will be the first time Lithuania imports gas from the U.S.," he said.

Credit rating agency Fitch on Thursday downgraded Royal Dutch Shell following its acquisition of BG Group, citing risks to its asset sales goals to finance the $53 billion deal. Fitch downgraded Shell's Long-term Issuer Default Rating to 'AA-' from 'AA' and put it on negative outlook. Rival rating agency Standard and Poors announced a similar downgrade earlier this month, warning of a further possible lowering. Shell completed on Feb. 15 the acquisition of its smaller British rival, making its the world's top liquefied natural gas trader and a major deep water oil producer.

The United States has added a Russian oil and gas field, the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye Field, to its list of energy sector sanctions prompted by Moscow's actions in Ukraine, drawing a prompt rebuke from the Kremlin on Friday. The federal government said on Thursday the field, located in the Sea of Okhotsk of the Siberian coast and owned by Russia's leading gas producer Gazprom, contains substantial reserves of oil in addition to reserves of gas. "The Yuzhno-Kirinskoye Field is being added to the Entity List because it is reported to contain substantial reserves of oil," according to a rule notice in the Federal Register. A Kremlin spokesman criticized the move. "Unfortunately, (this decision) further damages our bilateral relations," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Pro-Russian militants raised their flags over official buildings in two eastern Ukrainian cities on Saturday, deepening a stand-off with Moscow which, Kiev warned, was dragging Europe closer to a "gas war" that could disrupt supplies across the continent. At least 20 men armed with pistols and rifles took over the police station and a security services headquarters in Slaviansk, about 150 km (90 miles) from the border with Russia. Officials said the men had seized hundreds of pistols from arsenals in the buildings. The militants replaced the Ukrainian flag on one of the buildings with the red, white and blue Russian flag. Some local residents helped the militants build barricades out of tyres in anticipation that police would try to force them out, a Reuters photographer at the scene said.

STEALTHGAS INC. (Nasdaq:GASS), a ship-owning company serving primarily the liquified petroleum gas (LPG) sector of the international shipping industry, announced today the delivery of Gas Cerberus, new charter arrangements for three vessels, the sale of four vessels and first quarter 2011 financial results release date, conference call and webcast. On April 20, 2011, the Company took delivery of the 5,000cbm LPG carrier, Gas Cerberus, from the yard which has since been deployed in the spot market.

StealthGas Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire from an unaffiliated entity a resale new build Korean built 47,000 deadweight IMO 3 M.R. type Product Carrier. The purchase price of the vessel is $57.5 million and she will be financed through a combination of bank debt and internally generated cash resources. Upon her expected delivery to the Company in April 2009 she will be deployed on a three-year time charter to a Far Eastern based ship operator at a rate of $22,000 per day. The company also announced that it completed on March 19, 2008 the previously announced purchase of the Gas Premiership Japanese built 7,200 cbm Fully Pressurized LPG carrier; she has been deployed on a near four-year time charter to an international gas trader.

Stealthgas, a ship-owning company serving the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector of the international shipping industry, announced the deliveries of the M/V Gas Sophie and the M/V Gas Haralambos, the sale of the M/V Gas Oracle, the M/V Gas Renovatio and the M/V Gas Nemesis, new chartering arrangements for the M/V Gas Emperor and the M/V Gas Tiny and the appointment to its Board of Directors of Lambros Babilis as an Executive Director and Deputy Chairman. The company took delivery of the M/V Gas Sophie on October 15, 2007 and the M/V Gas Haralambos on October 31, 2007, two vessels it had previously contracted to acquire. The M/V Gas Sophie is a 1995 built, 3,500 cbm Fully Pressurized LPG carrier.

Stealthgas has entered into new time charter agreements for M/V Gas Sophie, M/V Gas Czar and M/V Gas Nemesis. The company has entered into a new bareboat charter for M/V Gas Ice and extended time charters for M/V Gas Renovatio, M/V Gas Zael, M/V Gas Sincerity, M/V Gas Shanghai, M/V Gas Kalogeros, M/V Gas Legacy, M/V Gas Icon and the M/V Gas Spirit. The M/V Gas Sophie, upon its scheduled delivery in October 2007 will be deployed on a time charter for 12 months to an international gas trader. The vessel is a 1995 built 3,500 cbm, Fully Pressurized LPG carrier that the Company agreed to acquire in early April 2007. The M/V Gas Czar and M/V Gas Nemesis have entered into new time charters both for 12 months beginning in December 2007 and May 2008, respectively, to an international gas trader.

Stealthgas will acquire its 39th LPG carrier, the M/V Gas Premiership, a 2001 built, 7,200 cbm Fully Pressurized LPG carrier. Upon its expected delivery to the company in February 2008, the vessel will be deployed under a four-year time charter to an international gas trader. The company also announced that it took delivery of the M/V Gas Evoluzione on July 23, 2007, M/V Gas Kalogeros on July 27, 2007, and the M/V Gas Sikousis on August 3, 2007, three LPG carriers that it had previously announced its agreement to acquire, thereby expanding its current fleet to 36 vessels, with a carrying capacity of 153,929 cbm. The M/V Gas Evoluzione is a 1996 built, 3,517 cbm Fully Pressurized LPG carrier. Upon its delivery, it was deployed on a time charter for 12-months to an oil major.

Stealthgas Inc. took delivery of the M/V Sea Bird II on May 18, 2007, the M/V Gas Renovatio on May 29, 2007, the M/V Gas Icon on June 27, 2007, and the M/V Chiltern on June 28, 2007, four LPG carriers that it had previously announced its agreement to acquire, expanding its current fleet to 33 vessels, with a carrying capacity of 141,912 cbm. The M/V Sea Bird II is a 1996 built, 3,518 cbm Fully Pressurized LPG carrier and is employed under a two-year bareboat charter until May 2009 to an international gas trader. The M/V Gas Renovatio is a 1997 built, 3,313 cbm Fully Pressurized LPG carrier. Upon its delivery to the Company, it was deployed under a 7-month time charter until January 2008 to an international gas trader.

Stealthgas Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire one additional LPG carrier Gas Fortune for a consideration of $ 9.5 million with expected delivery end February/early March 2006. Gas Fortune"is a Fully-Pressurized (F.P.) LPG Carrier built in Japan in 1995 with a capacity of 3,500 cubic meters (cbm). Upon delivery, it will be immediately deployed under a time charter to an international gas trader at a rate of $175,000 per calendar month until about February 2007. Gas Fortune is an additional vessel beyond the 10 identified vessels outlined in the company's IPO. Stealthgas has taken delivery of Gas Czar, a vessel that it had previously agreed to acquire.

Stealthgas Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire its 28th LPG carrier, the M/V Batangas, for consideration of $9.4m with expected delivery in early July 2006. Batangas is a Fully-Pressurized (F.P.) LPG carrier built in Japan in 1995 with a capacity of 3,300 cubic meters (cbm). Upon delivery, it will be immediately deployed under a bareboat charter to a major gas trader at a rate of $106,000 per calendar month until July 2008. Furthermore, Stealthgas Inc. announced that on June 15, 2006 it took delivery of the Gas Nemesis, a vessel it had previously agreed to acquire. The Gas Nemesis is a Fully-Pressurized (F.P.) LPG carrier built in Japan in 1995 with a capacity of 5…