LNG joins RasGas fleet

RasGas Company (RasGas), the leading player in Qatar?s energy sector, has named another long-term charter LNG tanker into its growing LNG carrier fleet. In doing so, RasGas took another major step towards controlling their transportation links with a growing portfolio of worldwide LNG customers.

RasGas celebrated the launch of the ship at a ceremony in South Korea hosted by the ship builders, Samsung Hyundai Industries (SHI) at their Goje Island shipyard. Named ?Ejnan? after an island off the west coast of Qatar, the newbuilding is the 11th LNG vessel to enter into long-term charter with Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II) and the 7th and last of the conventional sized ships to be delivered from SHI.

Owned by the Japanese consortium (4J) and QGTC, the ship will be operated by NYK and like it?s sister ship, the ?Lusail?, which was delivered into service in 2004, the ?Ejnan? has an LNG cargo capacity of 145,000 cubic metres. The delivery of the Ejnan, which is scheduled to arrive at Ras Laffan on 2 February, 2007, completes a long chapter in the RasGas and SHI relationship.

SHI delivered the first ever conventional LNG carrier, the ?Fuwairit?, to RasGas in January 2004. Under the terms of the time charter agreements, RasGas will charter the vessel for a firm period of 25 years to deliver LNG from existing and future facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial port to its growing portfolio of customers around the world.