Qatargas Supplies New Chinese Terminal

Qatargas said May 3 it recently delivered a commissioning cargo to a new Chinese LNG terminal.

The cargo was supplied to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) at its Yuedong LNG import terminal aboard Q-Flex vessel, Al Kharaitiyat.

Qatargas CEO Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani said: “We believe that this delivery will further strengthen the relationship between Qatargas and CNOOC and look forward to continuing to supply reliable, clean energy to China.”

CNOOC – which has a contract to receive 2mn mt/yr from Qatargas from 2011 until 2035 – is among three east Asian companies, including Japan’s Jera, that signaled this March they want improvements in contractual arrangements from LNG suppliers. Qatargas has a number of contracts due for expiry with such customers in the next five years, including 5mn mt/yr contracted with Jera until 2021 (of which 4mn mt/yr originally with Chubu Electric).

The new Yuedong terminal, with an initial receiving capacity of 2mn mt/yr, is the latest addition to CNOOC’s import terminals at Shanghai, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and Hainan.

Mark Smedley