Liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification volumes at Lithuania’s first and only import terminal in the port of Klaipeda reported mixed results for the first month of the year. Klaipedos Nafta, the terminal operator, published its monthly report according to which the facility regasified and reloaded 0.47 Twh of natural gas, 79.1% above the 0.26 TWh in the same month in 2018.
Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil have taken the final investment decision for developing the Golden Pass LNG export project, which is located in Sabine Pass, Texas. The LNG export project is owned by Golden Pass Products LLC, a joint venture between affiliates of Qatar Petroleum, holding the 70% and ExxonMobil, the 30%.
The Final Investment Decision for the floating LNG terminal on the Croatian Island of Krk was adopted on January 31, 2019. The procurement process of the FSRU vessel took place in November 2018, during which the bid from Golar was evaluated as the most economically beneficial, offering a new conversion of the existing LNG tanker to the FSRU vessel worth EUR 159.6 million.
IB Polaris is the first icebreaker in the world to use an LNG engine and has bunkered LNG at the Tornio LNG terminal in Röyttä Harbour. Polaris joined the fleet of Finland’s icebreaker operator Arctia in September 2016. Except the use of LNG, the lubricant used in the vessel’s propulsion system is biodegradable. The ship’s gray water, which basically consists of showering water, is collected to a container which is emptied during port calls.
ABS published that it is launching a new Guide for Liquefied Gas Tank Barges with Remote Control and Monitoring of Essential Systems Requirements for design and construction of unmanned barges equipped with various degrees of automation. The company released a guidance aiming to help shipyards and barge operators.
The volumes that were shipped from Russian ports were increased by 25% in 2018, according to data from the Russian Ministry of Transport. Specifically, 97.2 million tonnes were handled by regional seaports, from which almost 70% was oil products and LNG. In 2018, the volumes of goods shipped on the Northern Sea Route amounted to more than 18 million tons.
Taiwan imported 15.65 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from January to November, up by 1.6% in comparison to the same period in the year before, according to sources. In November, Taiwan imported 1.03 million tonnes of the chilled fuel, which decreased by 23.4% when compared to 1.35 tonnes the country received the same month in 2017.
World’s coal seaborne trade increased by 3.7% in 2018, because of higher input in India, Indonesia and Russia according to Germany’s Verein der Kohlenimporteure (VDKI) coal importers, as stated by Reuters. Imports and exports rose to 1.202 billion tonnes from 1.159 billion tonnes in 2017, VDKI Managing Director, Franz-Josef Wodopia, noted.
Chevron, a US-based energy company, temporarily halts the third liquefaction train at its Gorgon LNG plant on Barrow Island in Western Australia. The operation was shut down due to a mechanical issue that arose. There are allegations that the mechanical issue is likely due to a heat wave sweeping across Australia, it is not officially confirmed by Chevron, up to now.
Ecodelta, a new trailing suction hopper (TSHD), run by LNG, was christened on January 11 in the Dutch port of Rotterdam. The dredging vessel is the key component of the new contract entered into force by Bagger & Aannemingsmaatschappij Van der Kamp and the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
