Middle East LNG producer QatarEnergy has named the first four South Korean-built LNG carrier newbuildings under its massive 128-ship project that is worth nearly $32bn.
The 174,000-cbm Id’asah, Nuaijah, Umm Swayyah, and Lebrethah were given their new names at two separate ceremonies on Geoje Island.
The Id’asah naming was held at the Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyard with the vessel being the first handover by the yard for this project.
The Nuaijah, Umm Swayyah and Lebrethah followed at Hanwha Ocean.
QatarEnergy said the vessels are part of 128 total vessels ordered from South Korean and Chinese shipyards as part of the largest shipbuilding programme in the history of the LNG shipping industry.
The first two LNG carrier newbuildings under the project — the 174,000-cbm Rex Tillerson and Umm Ghuwailina — were named and delivered from China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in September.
Speaking in South Korea, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy president and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said: “This very special occasion highlights the growth of QatarEnergy’s strategic partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries and JP Morgan Asset Management’s Global Transportation Group.
“This event is not only a milestone in our journey, but also a celebration of our partnership and joint commitment to deliver cleaner energy to the world.”
At the Hanwha Ocean event, the minister thanked the yard and the LNG carriers’ owners, the South Korean KGL Consortium members who comprise Pan Ocean, H-Line Shipping and SK Shipping.
QatarEnergy, which is reported to be in talks for further large LNG newbuildings in South Korea, reserved berths across four yards for its huge shipbuilding project under two phases, marrying owners and consortia to the slots.
More recently the liquefaction giant has added six of its supersize LNG newbuildings — the 271,000-cbm QC-Max vessels — at Hudong-Zhonghua in China. But it has yet to formally announce owning parties for the ships. Mitsui OSK Lines and its Cosco partner have been tipped for the business.
