Gasatacama News

GasAtacama, energy provider to metal producers in Chile's Atacama desert, has lined up eight potential U.S. natural gas suppliers for a proposed import terminal on its Pacific Coast, but uncertainty about energy demand has delayed deals, CEO Rudolf Araneda told Reuters on Thursday. GasAtacama plans to build a $350 million offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal that would take shipments of the fuel to help create 500 megawatts of electricity for power-hungry miners in the mineral-rich north.

Golar LNG Ltd. Golar LNG Limited has been awarded the Gas Atacama Mejillones Seaport's FSRU Project ("Gas Atacama"). The FSRU will be moored approximately 1.6 km offshore and in approximately 50 metres water depth in the Bay of Mejillones. The newbuild FSRU will be capable of storing 170,000 m3 of LNG and delivering  approximately 180 MMcfd per day of regasified LNG and will be delivered to the project in the fourth quarter of 2015. The initial term of the contract, in Gas Atacama's option, is for 15 or 20 years and is expected to generate an average annual EBITDA of approximately US$48 million for the 15 year charter or US$47 million for the 20 year charter. Gas Atacama has three, five-year contract extension options, representing a potential 15 additional years of commitments.