QatarEnergy names LNG carrier in honour of Rex Tillerson

Qatari state-owned QatarEnergy has named the first LNG carrier to be delivered as part of its new LNG fleet expansion programme, it said on February 23.

The vessel has been named Rex Tillerson in recognition of the former chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, who also served as the 69th US Secretary of State.

Rex Tillerson, currently under construction at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in China, is set to be in service by September 2024. This event marks the initiation of a 12-ship construction programme, representing the initial batch of orders in QatarEnergy's LNG shipbuilding initiative with Chinese partners.

“As a result of Rex’s leadership, a long and fruitful strategic partnership that flourished from one of the oldest Qatari relationships with international oil companies, prospered and developed even further,” Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, CEO, QatarEnergy said. “For that, it is our honour to name the first LNG carrier built as part of our new fleet in his name, a tribute to his life-long accomplishments and a symbol of a special relationship.”

“I am deeply honored that QatarEnergy is recognising my long history with the development of Qatar’s natural gas resources and the country’s establishment as the leading supplier of liquefied natural gas to fuel economies around the world,” said Tillerson. 

Under Tillerson’s leadership, ExxonMobil’s partnerships in Qatar covered a wide spectrum of projects such as the Qatargas 2 and RasGas 3 mega-LNG trains; the Al Khaleej and Barzan gas projects; the Helium 1 and 2 projects; the Laffan Condensate Refinery; and the South Hook (UK), Adriatic (Italy) and Golden Pass LNG terminals.