Bonny Lng Plant News

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) said its transport subsidiary had secured a $160 million loan for two new ships from banks led by Credit Suisse First Boston. The company the loan would cover much of the cost of the ships -- being built by Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.-- that will be needed to transport gas when a 50 percent expansion to the vast Bonny LNG plant is completed at the end of 2002.

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) purchased two vessels owned by Duke Energy to transport gas from the Bonny LNG plant. The company said it had long-term chartered the ships in 1995 for 22.5 years with provisions for an extension or outright purchase within the period 2001 and 2006. The company is exercising the right to buy the vessels outright one year ahead of schedule. The $3.8 billion Bonny plant in southeast Nigeria began LNG production in October.