Qatar Petroleum has launched a major LNG shipbuilding program with an invitation to tender for the reservation of ship construction capacity to build Qatar’s new LNG fleet.
“With this significant step, Qatar Petroleum embarks on another major LNG ship-building campaign expected to initially deliver 60 LNG carriers in support of the planned production expansion, with a potential to exceed 100 new LNG carriers over the next decade,” Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said.
Issued on April 22, the tender would see the fleet of new vessels constructed for Qatar’s North Field Expansion (NFE) Project that will increase the country’s LNG production capacity from 77 million tons per annum (mta) to 110 mta starting in 2024.
In the largest ship building program in the history of the LNG industry, Qatar Petroleum initiates LNG ship construction program for 100+ new LNG carriers #QP #QatarPetroleum #Qatar https://t.co/xGDl6hFqm4 pic.twitter.com/iVnFEeIqPo
— Qatar Petroleum (@qatarpetroleum) April 22, 2019
In addition to addressing shipping requirements for the North Field Expansion Project, the tender covers shipping requirements for the LNG volumes that will be purchased and offtaken by Ocean LNG, a 70%/30% joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil, from the Golden Pass LNG export project in the United States, which is currently under construction and is planned to start by 2024. The tender also includes options for replacement requirements for Qatar’s existing LNG fleet.
“This tender, along with the recently released Engineering, Procurement and Construction tender for four new mega LNG trains planned as part of the North Field Expansion Project, constitute two monumental and historical milestones as we make major strides in our commitment towards the further development of the world’s largest non-associated gas field,” Al-Kaabi added.
Qatar Petroleum has entrusted Qatargas to execute this LNG ship building program on its behalf. Qatargas previously delivered a campaign that resulted in the construction of 45 Q-Flex and Q-Max ships, the world’s largest LNG carriers, which constitute the backbone of Qatar’s LNG carrier fleet today.