Lithuania gets first 2016 LNG cargo

Lithuania’s Klaipeda LNG terminal received the first cargo of liquefied natural gas in 2016 from Statoil’s Hammerfest LNG plant in Norway.

This is the seventh LNG cargo Lithuania received from Norway’s Statoil since the country started importing chilled gas in December 2014 in order to reduce its dependence on Russian gas supplies.

The cargo was delivered onboard the 140,000 cbm Arctic Voyager, that departed from Klaipeda port on Thursday, according to shipping data. Lithuania imports chilled gas via Höegh LNG’s FSRU Independence located in the port of Klaipeda.

Litgas, part of the Lithuanian state-controlled Lietuvos Energija, signed a five-year deal with Statoil in August 2014 to buy about 540 million cubic metres of gas per year via the Klaipeda LNG terminal, operated by Klaipedos Nafta. However, Litgas said in December it is trying to renegotiate the deal with Statoil to lower the annual volumes due to falling gas demand in Lithuania.

Statoil is also reportedly in the final stages of negotiations to deliver LNG to Lithuanian privately-owned fertiliser producer Achema, The deal is expected to be signed by the end of January.

LNG World News Staff