State-owned LNG producing giant Qatargas said it has completed the first-ever commercial ship-to-ship transfer of an LNG cargo involving a Q-Flex vessel.
The unit of Qatar Petroleum said on Tuesday the transfer took place at Subic Bay, Philippines.
Furhermore, the Qatargas-chartered and Nakilat-owned Q-Flex vessel Mesaimeer loaded the cargo at Ras Laffan on December 18 and delivered the fuel as two separate parcel discharges.
The 216,000-cbm vessel delivered the first parcel via the ship-to-ship transfer in Subic Bay on January 6 while the second parcel landed at the Jiangsu LNG terminal in China.
State-owned PetroChina purchased the cargoes, Qatargas said.
“This achievement will enable us to transport considerable volumes as efficiently as possible into key markets. Moreover, this will be an attractive option for our potential customers with limited shipping capacity and for those who are looking for smaller or irregular sized cargo parcels,” Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatargas’ CEO, said.
He added that STS transfers such as this one would optimise the firm’s shipping capabilities by using its most efficient LNG vessels to shift volumes into key high-value markets.