• Qatar’s new ship repair facility N-KOM is set to rack up work on 30 LNG carriers during 2012. Local reports said the yard, a joint venture between Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) and Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd established to serve Qatar’s huge LNG carrier fleet, has completed dry-docking works for some 18 vessels so far this year. Most of the vessels are LNG carriers fixed on long-term charters to Qatari LNG exporters Qatargas and RasGas. However, the facility also recently took in its first BW Gas-controlled LPG carrier.• French design shop GTT and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping have inked a co-operation agreement to develop LNG carriers for different environments. The hook-up, concluded earlier this month, follows on from RS’ granting of ‘approval in principle’ to GTT technologies in 2010. RS chief executive Mikhail Ayvazov said: “It is a big step towards classification of the membrane-type LNG carriers intended for Arctic operations. “In view of the growing interest for navigation along Northern Sea Route we just should not let this opportunity pass.”