Colombia: Pacific Rubiales, Exmar in Floating LNG Deal

Pacific Rubiales Energy (PRE) acting through its wholly owned subsidiary Pacific Stratus Energy Colombia Corp. (PSE), announced today the signing of a natural gas/ LNG Liquefaction, Regasification, Storage and Loading Services Agreement with Belgium based EXMAR NV.

The Agreement calls for EXMAR to build, operate and maintain a Floating Liquefaction Regasification & Storage Unit (FLRSU) to be located on the Colombian Caribbean coast. The Agreement grants PSE exclusive guaranteed rights to supply and liquefy up to 69.5 MMscf/d (+/- 0.5 million tonnes of LNG per annum) over a 15 year period, under a tolling structure. The FLRSU will have a storage capacity of 14,000 m3 of LNG and will be able to accommodate alongside a 140,000 m3 LNG Floating Storage Unit (FSU). Commercial Operations of the FLRSU are estimated to start in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Ronald Pantin, Chief Executive Officer of PRE commented: “We are very excited with this Agreement as it opens new markets and fast-tracks monetization of the PRE’s extensive natural gas reserves. This leverages PRE’s strategy to explore and develop its large gas resources in northern Colombia, and also reinforces our view that Colombia has enough gas resources to become a reliable LNG supplier for the region.”

As part of the project, PSE will build an 88 km, 18” diameter pipeline from its producing La Creciente Field to the Caribbean coast with an initial design transportation capacity of 100 MMscf/d. Gas for the project will be sourced from La Creciente Field.

With this project the Company will be initially targeting markets of Central America and the Caribbean, aiming to replace fuel oil and diesel currently used for power generation. The project will also open potential industrial and residential market opportunities for natural gas in these countries, while putting in place new incentives to explore and develop the large undiscovered natural gas resources in Colombia.

Nicolas Saverys, CEO of EXMAR, added: “We are proud to assist PRE in reducing the carbon footprint of Central America and the Caribbean. This FLRSU will be the world’s first operational floating LNG production unit. The unique technology on board the unit is the result of EXMAR’s innovative leadership in the LNG industry during the past years. This contract represents the start of a new era for EXMAR.”

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LNG World News Staff, March 28, 2012; Image: Exmar