No let up in spot LNG imports to India
Spot LNG imports to India continue apace, as companies try to fill the supply shortage created by suspended gas production from the Panna field offshore Mumbai.
PETROWATCH learns Shell is expected to bring in approximately 135,000-cubic metres of spot LNG sourced from Qatar Gas to its Hazira LNG terminal sometime on the evening of October 8 aboard LNG tanker Al Zubarah. This 137,573-cubic metre capacity tanker is owned by the Japan-based J4 Consortium and operated by Mitsui OSK Lines.
It is chartered by Qatar Gas and usually plies between the Persian Gulf and Japan, the world’s biggest LNG customer. “But Al Zubarah has been specially diverted to India,” reports an industry source, “because of rising spot demand here.
” He adds that this will be the fourth spot LNG cargo brought to India in just two weeks. On September 28, Shell sister company Shell International Trading Middle East brought in a 132,163-cubic metre spot LNG cargo from Qatar Gas to Hazira aboard LNG tanker Al Khor.
“That cargo was meant for Reliance,” we hear, “but part of it could also be supplied to Essar.” Then, on October 4, GAIL and British Gas jointly brought in a 145,000-cubic metre spot cargo at Petronet LNG’s Dahej LNG terminal, sourced from BG’s Punto Europa liquefaction facility in Equatorial Guinea.
Most recently, on October 5, GSPC brought in a 143,730-cubic metre spot cargo to Hazira from Nigeria LNG, aboard LNG tanker Methane Rita Andrea. GSPC had also earlier, on September 27, landed a 135,096-cubic metre term LNG cargo at Dahej from the Point Fortin liquefaction facility in Trinidad & Tobago aboard LNG tanker Iberica Knutsen, under its nine-cargo deal with Repsol affiliate Stream.
Panna gas production is unlikely to resume before October 15.