Malaysian energy giant Petronas said on Monday it has completed its first commercial gassing up and cooling down services at its Bintulu LNG complex in Sarawak.
The operation, which includes cooling down an LNG carrier’s tanks to cryogenic temperature after dry-docking and before loading its next cargo, was recently performed on the vessel Singapore Energy, according to a Petronas statement.
The vessel, that berthed at the Bintulu LNG terminal after arriving from Linggi, off the Straits of Melaka, completed the cool-down operation in about 11 hours.
The success of the services positions Bintulu as one of “the premier LNG hubs, as only few terminals in the world offer this facility,” Petronas said.
These services are offered at “attractive rates” by Bintulu Port to LNG vessel operators and owners.
“The partnership with Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd (BPSB), a subsidiary of Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad (BPHB) and Bintulu Port Authority (BPA) will enhance Petronas’ portfolio of services in the integrated LNG value chain,” Petronas Vice President of LNG Marketing & Trading, Ahmad Adly Alias said in the statement.
“Following an agreement signed last year between BPSB and PLL, we augmented efforts to garner vessel operators and owners’ interests to utilise this service in Bintulu,” he said.
Alias added that Petronas is confident that these services will draw more LNG vessel operators and owners to call at Bintulu LNG terminal.