Natural Gas News

The Nordic energy company Gasum said its LNG bunkering vessel Coralius has successfully performed its 200th ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation.The vessel receiving the LNG fuel was Fjord Line’s MS Stavangerfjord. The bunkering took place while Stavangerfjord underwent periodical maintenance at the Fayard yard in Odense, Denmark.“We normally supply LNG to Stavangerfjord by a loading arm on a regular basis directly from our LNG plant in Risavika,” said Gunnar Helmen, Sales Manager at Gasum.“It’s great to get this opportunity to supply the cruise ferry with LNG in dock in Denmark.

Sweden's Alfa Laval has joined the Getting to Zero Coalition, a coordinated effort to fight climate change by introducing zero-emission vessels by the year 2030.Alfa Laval is committed to reaching this vital goal, which is key to decarbonizing the global shipping industry and reaching the International Maritime Organization (IMO) target of cutting vessel-related greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050.The ‘Getting to Zero Coalition’ was announced on September 23, 2019…

Wärtsilä announced on Friday that it will supply the main equipment for three liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled short-sea Ro-Lo (roll-on, lift-off) vessels to be operated by Finland based Bore Ltd., an affiliate of the Dutch Spliethoff Group.The ships have been ordered and are being built at the WuHu Shipyard in China. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in December.Wärtsilä said it has worked in close collaboration with both the owner and the naval architect to develop a vessel optimized integrated LNG system.

Carnival Cruise Line's next flagship was floated out at Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland, the builder announced on Friday.The 180,000-gross-ton, 5,200-passenger cruise ship Mardi Gras will be the largest in the Carnival fleet upon delivery in October 2020.Ben Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of newbuilds, says the the “one-of-a-kind” ship is a “game-changer”.Meyer Turku CEO, Jan Meyer, agrees. “I believe Mardi Gras will be a truly special ship,” Meyer says. “She will be…

Houston liquefied natural gas company Annova LNG has signed a 20-year supply deal with Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline company that owns a 10.5 percent stake in Annova's proposed export terminal.The precedent agreement with Enbridge Inc.’s Valley Crossing Pipeline LLC (VCP) would provide transportation for the still unsanctioned 6.5 million metric tons/year (mmty) facility, which was approved by federal regulators in November.Under the deal, the existing 2.6 Bcf/d VCP from Agua Dulce to Brownsville would be expanded…

MAN Energy Solutions’ marine liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel-gas-system manufacturer MAN Cryo has inked a deal to supply the LNG fuel-gas supply systems for two icebreaking roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) newbuilds being built at Yantai Raffles shipyard in China for Swedish shipping line Wallenius SOL. MAN Energy Solutions will also supply a pair of 9L28/32DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines to each vessel.Upon construction, the 242-meter vessels will be the largest to ever to meet Finnish/Swedish ice class 1A Super standard…

Wärtsilä has launched a new LNG Bunkering & Supply System simulator. The simulator will promote greater safety on board liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled vessels by improving the level of training for operators of LNG systems. The design is based on the Wärtsilä LNGPac and Gas Valve Unit (GVU) technologies, and includes all auxiliary systems used in connection with the fuel supply. The design is also in accordance with the STCW requirements for training seafarers onboard gas…

Malaysian state-run giant Petroliam Nasional (Petronas) subsidiary Petronas LNG (PLL) has signed a 12-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with China’s Shenergy Group. Under the terms of the 12-year heads of agreement (HOA), Petronas LNG will supply approximately 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG to Shenergy’s Wuhaogou receiving terminal.Additionally, the LNG supply agreement involves a shipping collaboration to construct and charter new mid-sized LNG vessels.

Geneva-based global cruise line MSC Cruises has signed a contract with the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique to build the third and fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered MSC World Class ships.The two parties announced that a firm contract has been signed for the construction of two additional MSC World Class ships worth over 2 billion euros scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2027.In 2017, Chantiers de l’Atlantique (previously STX France) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MSC Cruises for the construction of two cruise ships.

2019 was a relatively safe year for shipping in the port of Rotterdam. Over the past year, the number of sea-going vessels arriving was about the same as in 2018: 29,491 compared to 29,476 last year.According to the port authority, the number of accidents also remained virtually the same: 113 compared to 112, which involved mainly ‘parking damage’. As there was one very serious accident, the NSI (Nautical Safety Index) – a reflection of nautical safety – was slightly below the norm (6.56 instead of 7).

Seaborne coal trade around the world grew 0.7% last year, helped by higher output in China and Indonesia and more export activity by Indonesia, Australia, Russia and Canada, Germany's VDKI coal importers lobby said on Friday.Imports and exports, counted together, rose to 1.218 billion tonnes from 1.210 billion tonnes in 2018, VDKI Managing Director Franz-Josef Wodopia said in an speech made available to Reuters, citing VDKI estimates.Within the 2019 total, trade in coking coal used for steelmaking dropped by 1% to 287 million tonnes as steel production declined, the Verein der Kohlenimporteure

The world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas) has delivered the first Q-Flex cargo of the chilled fuel to the Summit LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) located offshore Bangladesh.The cargo, aboard Qatargas-chartered 'Al Safliya', was loaded at Ras Laffan Port on 27 December 2019 and delivered to the FSRU on 14 January 2020.This is the first commercial open water ship-to-ship transfer involving a Q-Flex…

Flex LNG on Wednesday said it secured an extension of the time-charter agreement for its 173,400-cubic-meter-capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Flex Enterprise.The extension stretches the firm period of the time charter into first quarter 2021, and the charterer also has extension options, Flex LNG said. The time charter rate is variable.Øystein M.

Norway-based floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) giant Höegh LNG said it has secured $80 million to refinance an existing bond loan maturing in June 2020."The facility is provided by three of the company’s relationship banks and will be used to refinance part of the HLNG02 bond loan which matures in June 2020 and general corporate purposes," the Norwegian shipowner said in a press note.The facility has a tenor of 2 years and an estimated interest rate of about 5.2% for drawn amounts based on the current floating interest rates.

The Netherlands-based Wijnne Barends Chartering, an affiliate of the Dutch Spliethoff Group, has ordered four new next-generation short-sea cargo vessels from the WuHu Shipyard in China.The newbuilds will feature liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and storage systems provided by Wärtsilä, making the vessels among the first of their type to be powered by LNG fuel.Because of space restrictions on short-sea cargo ships, Wärtsilä developed a customized solution in close cooperation…

The French liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage technology firm GTT has received an order from the South Korean Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) for the tank design of a new LNG carrier.The containment system specialist stated that the order concerns a tank design for a tanker capable of transporting up to 174,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas.DSME is building the vessel for an unnamed European shipowner, it said.GTT’s membrane containment system NO96 GW has been selected for the design of the tanks.

French liquefied natural gas (LNG) containment system specialist Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) has received several orders from Korean shipyards Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) for the equipment of eight new LNG Carriers (LNGC).According to a press note from the French LNG storage technology firm, the orders were receirved at the end of December 2019.Each vessel will offer a capacity of 174,000 m3 and will be fitted with the Mark III Flex…

Tougher rules on sulphur emissions from ships set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) from January burden the profit outlook for Germany's container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd this year after a good 2019, its chief executive said."This will make it difficult for us to achieve a better (2020) result," Rolf Habben Jansen told reporters in Hamburg in comments on the ban on ships using a sulphur content above 0.5% on risk of fines, which is shaking up oil and shipping.But with above-market growth rates in transport volumes in 2019…

Even as the United States and Iran appear to signal a keenness to avoid further conflict, oil and gas shipowners are bracing to pay a price for the war of words that culminated in rocket strikes in Iraq over the last week - higher insurance bills.According to industry sources, payments known as war risk premiums for tankers shuttling through the Strait of Hormuz could rise significantly, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to shipping costs in some cases that will ultimately…

LNGSTS, a unit of Teekay Tankers, has closed the year 2019 with a record number of 112 open water liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship-to-ship (STS) cargo transfers.From November 2018, until July 2019, LNGSTS was the technical and manpower service provider for the largest ever LNG ship-to-ship project, located in Honningsvag, Norway, the company said in a press release.Under the challenging Arctic conditions, LNGSTS completed 123 STS operations from 11 different ARC7 vessels to 14…

Spanish shipping company and ferry operator Baleària has established a natural gas supply in the port of Valencia using a so-called multi truck to ship (MTTS) bunkering system in which several tanks operate simultaneously to supply fuel to the ship.Baleària will use this new system daily, after the approval of Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia (APV – Valenciaport, Port Authority of Valencia), which guarantees the complete operation of ships operating with natural gas in that port.The…

North American energy infrastructure company Sempra Energy and Saudi Aramco's Aramco Services Company, signed an Interim Project Participation Agreement for the Port Arthur LNG export project under development in Jefferson County, Texas.According to a press release, the IPPA represents another milestone for both companies after having signed a heads of agreement in May last year for the purchase of 5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a 25% equity investment in the Port Arthur LNG project.Jeffrey W.

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…