Nakilat: Delivering Qatar's gas to the world
Qatar Gas Transport Company’s (Nakilat) $11bn investment in a fleet of specialist, state-of-the-art liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers is the largest single merchant shipbuilding programme since the Second World War, during which the US commissioned a new fleet to replace vessels destroyed in the conflict.
By the middle of 2010, Nakilat will own or part-own 54 LNG carriers, including 45 Q-Max and Q-Flex carriers, which are among the largest and most technologically advanced ships ever to have been built.
The technology and design of the Nakilat’s fleet has set new standards for the LNG industry worldwide and enhances Qatar’s position as the world’s leading LNG exporter.
The Q-Max vessels can carry up to 80 per cent more cargo than the conventional LNG carriers that have dominated the industry for 30 years. And they are designed to consume 40 per cent less energy per unit of cargo.
With the country’s LNG production capacity forecast to hit 77 million tonnes in 2010, compared with 39.9 million tonnes in 2008, the 25-year charter agreements secured for these ships are as vital for the clients, Qatargas and RasGas, as for Nakilat’s own business. With guaranteed access to these pioneering vessels, Qatargas and RasGas can be confident of fulfilling their export commitments in a timely and cost-effective manner, while Nakilat has shielded itself against a downturn in the LNG market.
Nakilat has already proven itself to be a vital element in Qatar’s ambition to exert its control over the entire LNG supply chain, from the well-heads in its giant offshore North Field to overseas regasification terminals. With the company now turning its attention to developing an entire marine industry, Nakilat is set to extend that dominance even further.
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