Argentinian energy company YPF will use the oldest LNG carrier in Excelerate Energy’s fleet to export cargoes from its recently started-up Tango FLNG project.

Shipping industry sources said YPF has fixed Exmar and Excelerate’s 138,034-cbm Excalibur (built 2002), which is on long-term charter to Excelerate.

YPF is said to be paying a daily rate in the region of $38,000 to the low $40,000s.

The vessel is due for delivery around 7 to 9 September.

Last week, Excelerate announced that it had reached a preliminary agreement with YPF to charter an LNG carrier to ship cargoes from Tango FLNG.

The charter on the vessel is due to run until May 2020, YPF has said.

The Bahia Blanca-based, 500,000-tonne-per-annum Tango FLNG exported its first cargo on 6 June, loading LNG into a single tank onboard the 147,895-cbm Fuji LNG (built 2004).

The floater is fixed to YPF under a 10-year tolling deal, which starts in September.

Shortly afterwards, YPF launched a search to charter an LNG carrier of around 138,000 cbm that could remain alongside the floater for long periods to allow the unit sufficient time to produce a full cargo.