Brazil’s state-owned energy firm Petrobras said it has transferred operations of the Bahia LNG terminal to Texas-based floating LNG player Excelerate Energy.
The two firms signed a lease deal worth about $18.7 million for the Bahia LNG terminal in September.
Petrobras said in a statement it officially handed over the facility to Excelerate on December 4 following an approval by the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE).
“Petrobras supported Excelerate in obtaining the necessary licenses and authorizations, also complying with the precedent conditions in the lease agreement for the operation of the terminal,” it said.
Excelerate’s regasification vessel has already docked at the Bahia offshore facility, according to Petrobras.
The berthing of Excelerate’s ship would also allow the transfer of the converted 125,000-cbm FSRU Golar Winter, to sail to the Pecem LNG regasification terminal, located in Ceara, it said.
“The three LNG regasification terminals are connected to the country’s integrated natural gas transportation network (Guanabara Bay, Pecem, and Bahia) and are ready to operate,” Petrobras said.
The firm did not reveal which Excelerate vessel would serve the Bahia facility.
According to its AIS data, the 2020-built, 173,400-cbm Excelerate Sequoia is located at the facility. The FSRU previously picked up a cargo at Qatar’s giant Ras Laffan complex, the data shows.
The Bahia terminal’s capacity allows for regasification of up to 700 MMcf/d and includes a 45 km pipeline with connections to two delivery points in the city of Salvador.
Excelerate has provided regasification services in Brazil since 2012, operating at the three Petrobras’ LNG terminals.