Equinor to restart Hammerfest LNG plant on June 18

Norwegian energy giant Equinor plans to bring back online its Hammerfest liquefied natural gas export plant on June 18 following planned maintenance.

The LNG operator said earlier this month it would close the export facility for scheduled maintenance for two weeks starting on May 15.

However, the company then extended the shutdown to June 30 with the latest operational data on its website showing that the facility will restart on June 16.

The closure of the terminal which liquefies natural gas from the Snohvit (Snow White) field in the Barents Sea reduced production by 18 million cubic metres per day.

Natural gas from Snohvit reaches Hammerfest LNG via a 160-kilometer gas pipeline which became operational in the autumn of 2007.

Hammerfest LNG is able to produce about 4.3 million tonnes per year of LNG.

The chilled fuel produced at the facility mainly lands at LNG terminals in Europe but also in Asia.

Equinor is the operator of both the Snohvit field and Hammerfest LNG with a 36.8 per cent stake.