More Norwegian LNG for Spain


Spain continues to be the primary recipient of Norwegian LNG. The country has taken eight of the past 11 cargoes to be despatched from Norway’s Snohvit LNG train.

The latest cargo was loaded aboard the Arctic Princess late last week and the vessel set off this morning for Bilbao, where it is expected to arrive on 28 July.

The Gemmata loaded a cargo about a fortnight ago and was berthing at the Reganosa terminal in El Ferrol this afternoon.

One of the other three tankers to be loaded was sent to the UK and another to France, while the third — the Arctic Discoverer — has been anchored in a fjord at the northern cape for about a fortnight.

About as much Norwegian LNG had been despatched to north America as to Spain by late April, while other European destinations — notably the UK — received far more than in previous years.

But the frequency of Norwegian shipments to Spain since then has lifted its share of cargoes loaded at Melkoya to nearly half.

The US and UK have taken six apiece — each accounting for nearly a fifth of the train’s output — while three have gone to France, one to Canada and one to Belgium.

The Excellence was moored alongside the Melkoya liquefaction terminal this afternoon.

Shipping sources said the tanker was headed for a destination in the north Atlantic.

The tanker can berth at dock-side regasification facilities in Boston and Louisiana in the US and Teesside in the UK, as well as facilities in Argentina and Kuwait, in addition to standard LNG reception terminals.

[mappress]

Source: argusmedia, July 20, 2010;