QatarEnergy to charter 19 new LNG vessels expanding fleet further (updated)

Samsung Heavy Industries

31/03/2024 08:44

(Adds detail about shipbuilders in paragraphs two and three;
details about joint venture operator in paragraph three and
additional context in paragraphs four and five.)
    By Andrew  Mills
       DOHA, March 31 (Reuters) - QatarEnergy  QATPE.UL  CEO
Saad Al Kaabi announced on Sunday that the company has finalised
a number of charter contracts with several Asian ship owners to
bolster its shipping fleet by 19 LNG vessels ahead of a massive
expansion in LNG output.
    In a ceremony at its Doha headquarters state-owned
QatarEnergy signed contracts to charter six vessels from CMES
LNG Carrier Investment, six vessels from Shandong Marine Energy
and three vessels from MISC Berhad. Those 15 vessels will be
built at South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries, QatarEnergy
said in a press release. 
    An additional four vessels will be operated by a joint
venture of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Hyundai Glovis and are
being built by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean shipbuilders. 
    The agreements signed on Sunday bring the total number of
ships QatarEnergy has contracted to 104, the company said, 43 of
which will be charterd by affiliate QatarEnergy Trading. 
     The 19 new LNG vessels announced on Sunday will each have a
capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, QatarEnergy said. 
    QatarEnergy's North Field expansion will boost its position
as the world's top LNG exporter. It includes eight LNG trains
that will ramp up Qatar's liquefaction capacity from 77 million
tons per annum (mtpa) to 142 mtpa by 2030, an 85% increase in
production.

 (Reporting by Andrew Mills;
Editing by Alison Williams, Kirsten Donovan)
 ((Adam.Makary@thomsonreuters.com;))