Qatargas says it has secured a 22-year deal with China’s state-run PetroChina to supply around 3.4 million tonnes a-year of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Qatargas will supply LNG to receiving terminals across China, taking from the Qatargas 2 project (a venture between Qatar Petroleum, US-based ExxonMobil and France’s Total). The first cargo is due to be delivered this month.

The deal allows flexibility in delivering LNG to Chinese terminals including those in Dalian, Jiangsu, Tangshan and Shenzhen, using the Qatargas fleet of 70 conventional, Q-Flex and Q-Max vessels, the company said.

China requires LNG for its push to reduce air pollution, replacing coal with cleaner burning natural gas, .

After Beijing started the programme last year, China has overtaken South Korea as the world’s second-biggest buyer of LNG.

China’s LNG imports may surge 70 per cent to 65 million tonnes by 2020. Last year, China imported a record 38.1 million tonnes, 46 per cent more than the previous year.