CNOOC to supply LNG to Kinmen County
Taipei: The likely growth in a new series of mini-LNG carriers driven by China’s coastal LNG trades has received another boost with news that China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has signed a deal to send LNG from next year to Kinmen County, Taiwan’s nearest possession to mainland China. The deal will eventually see up to 100,000 tonnes of LNG a year.
In addition to LNG, Kinmen will get water from nearby Fujian province starting next year.
CNOOC last year also signed a deal with Taiwan’s CPC to supply LNG spot cargoes.
According to a SinoShip White Paper on China’s LNG sector, published 18 months ago in association with Standard Chartered and Watson, Farley & Williams, Chinese domestic gas demands are likely to spur a significant build up of smaller LNG tonnage of between 10,000 and 30,000 cu m capacity. The first two sets of 30,000 cu m gas ships were ordered domestically last year. CNOOC alone could need a fleet of around 30 such ships in the near future, the white paper predicted. [21/01/14]