Gazprom Marketing and Trading (GM&T) said in a statement that LNG vessel OB RIVER was officially named Monday at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore during the planned drydocking of the vessel. She has been named after the Ob River – one of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean.
OB RIVER (previous name – Clean Power) was built in 2007 in Korea and since then has successfully operated in the international LNG trade having visited 77 terminals and delivered about 3 million tons of cargo. Her ice class and winterisation equipment were fully utilised in 2009 – 2011 when she was chartered by GM&T group for winter operations to export LNG from “Sakhalin-2”, the majority-owned project of OAO Gazprom.
Upon completion of her current employment with a third party this autumn, OB RIVER will commence a medium-term time charter with the GM&T group to support its global LNG operations.
Dynagas, representing the owner and technical manager of the vessel, will continue with its policy of maximising Russian content by employing Russian seafarers and providing training opportunities for the cadets of the Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy in St. Petersburg.
Nikolai Grigoriev, Director of Global Shipping & Logistics, GM&T said: “ We are very pleased with our continued cooperation with Dynagas, one of the world’s leading LNG shipping companies who has supported the growth of our LNG business with shipping solutions since 2009.”
Tony Lauritzen, Commercial Director, Dynagas said: “ It is a privilege for Dynagas to further expand and strengthen its existing business relationship with Gazprom Marketing & Trading, a company that we recognize as one of the best performers in the LNG industry. We have steadily increased our business activities with GM&T over the last few years and look forward to continuing this trend going forward .”
[mappress]
LNG World News Staff, July 17, 2012