The deal is pursuant
to a time charter agreement to be entered into by affiliates of QatarEnergy and
Nakilat. The award is the first in the second batch of long-term time charters
under QatarEnergy’s LNG fleet expansion project. QatarEnergy said it anticipates
selecting additional bidders as vessel owners and announcing these awards in
due course.
QatarEnergy is building an LNG fleet expected to
exceed 100 vessels. In 2022, the company signed a series of agreements for the long-term
charter and operation of 60 LNG carriers in support of its North Field East and
North Field South expansion projects (OGJ Online, Apr. 22, 2019).
The expanded fleet
will also support the shipping requirements of QatarEnergy Trading, including
volumes to be produced from the 18-million tonne/year Golden Pass LNG plant
under development with ExxonMobil Corp., and replace aging components of the
existing Qatar LNG fleet. The vessels
will be owned 100% by Nakilat, chartered to affiliates of QatarEnergy, and are
scheduled for construction at South Korean shipyards.
Tags: LNG, Nakilat, QatarEnergy