The liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Bu Samra has delivered the first Q-Max cargo of LNG to Thailand’s Map Ta Phut import terminal under a long-term sale and purchase agreement (SPA).
The vessel, operated by Doha-based liquefied natural gas company Qatargas, carried the cargo as part of a deal between Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited – 3 (Qatargas 3) and PTT Public Company Limited.
The LNG shipment arrived in Thailand on August 5. This is the first Q-Max vessel to arrive at Thailand’s first LNG receiving terminal since the startup of the facility in 2011, when Qatargas delivered the first commissioning cargo to Map Ta Phut.
Since then, Qatargas has supplied PTT with approximately 9 million tons of LNG, delivering most of these cargoes via Q-Flex vessels.
In December 2012, Qatargas 3 and PTT Company Limited signed the SPA for the delivery of two million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG for a period of 20 years, starting from 2015.
Q-Max vessels can carry up to 266,000 cubic metres of LNG and are 80% larger than the conventional LNG vessels. Qatargas has a chartered fleet of 13 Q-Max vessels that transport LNG from Qatargas plants in Ras Laffan.