No let up in LNG imports to gas-hungry India
Despite its high price, imports of LNG show no sign of letting up in an economy hungry for gas.
And soaring demand is reflected in a steady stream of diverted cargoes reaching Dahej and Hazira, with more than half a million cubic metres unloaded in seven days this month. Between February 13 and 19, the two LNG terminals jointly received 620,877.757-cubic metres of LNG in four separate cargoes.
“This translates to 372m-cubic metres of R-LNG,” we hear. At Hazira, Reliance landed a 205,974-cubic metre Q-Flex cargo on February 19 from SITME (Shell International Trading Middle East) sourced from Qatar Gas aboard Al Sadd, on its maiden voyage to India after loading at Ras Laffan on February 15.
Owned by Nakilat, the 210,000 cubic metre capacity Samsung-built and Shell-operated Al Sadd is on long term contract to Qatar Gas and typically ferries LNG from Qatar to the US and Britain. At Dahej, Petronet LNG imported two cargoes, one from Nigeria; the other from Free Port in Texas.
Flying the Belgium flag, the 138,034-cubic metre capacity Excalibur berthed at Dahej on (Sunday) February 19 afternoon on its maiden trip to India carrying 134,673.910-cubic metres of LNG loaded at Bonny Island on January 30. Daewoo-built Excalibur is operated by Antwerp-headquartered Exmar.
A day earlier, on February 18, Petronet-LNG landed a 139,216.847-cubic metre cargo aboard Golar Grand, sourced through Spain’s Gas Natural from the Conoco Philips liquefaction facility at Free Port in Texas. Owned by Golar LNG, the 145,700-cubic metre capacity LNG tanker was loaded at Free Port on January 25 and reached Dahej after a voyage of 24 days.