QatarEnergy has selected Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited (Nakilat) to be the owner and operator of up to 25 conventional-size LNG carriers pursuant to Time Charter Parties (TCP) to be entered into by affiliates of QatarEnergy and Nakilat, according to the company's release.
This constitutes the first award in the second batch of long-term TCPs under QatarEnergy’s historic LNG Fleet Expansion Project. QatarEnergy anticipates selecting additional bidders as vessel owners and announcing these awards in due course.
In 2022, QatarEnergy signed a series of TCPs for the long-term charter and operation of 60 LNG ships, concluding the first phase of its historic and unprecedented fleet expansion program, which aims to support and meet future requirements of QatarEnergy’s North Field East and North Field South Expansion Projects. It will also support the shipping requirements of QatarEnergy Trading to serve its global LNG portfolio, including volumes to be produced from the Golden Pass LNG Export Project. In addition, part of the program is intended to cater for replacement requirements of the existing Qatar LNG fleet.
The 25 vessels, each with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, will be owned 100% by Nakilat and chartered out to affiliates of QatarEnergy. They are scheduled for construction at South Korean shipyards.