Yemen LNG to start operations this summer

Dubai: Yemen LNG will lift its first cargo in midyear, with operations starting by the summer, according to Yves-Louis Darricarrere, president of exploration and production at Total SA, a shareholder in the project.

The $4 billion Yemen LNG project is several months behind schedule due to technical problems and shortage of labor. With a capacity of 6.7 million tonnes/year from two trains, it will provide cargoes to Asia Pacific and Atlantic Basin markets for its primary customers in North America and South Korea and potentially will add new customers in the future as the second train will start operations during the third quarter. Current capacity is sold out. The company has chartered the 294.6 m Seri Balqis vessel for the lifespan of the project. It was built at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan. Yemen LNG has completed hydrotesting both tanks, the company said. Another three ships, Seri Balhaf, Maersk Arwa, and Maersk Marib also are dedicated to this project.

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Russia ships first Sakhalin LNG to Japan

Russia sent its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan on Sunday from a Pacific island project that will allow the Kremlin to extend its reach in world energy markets from Europe into Asia and North America.

Sakhalin Energy, controlled by gas export monopoly Gazprom, loaded the 145,000-cubic-metre cargo for the two-day voyage to Tokyo Bay and the first Japanese buyers of Russian gas: Tokyo Gas Co and Tokyo Electric Power Co. 'Russia has marked its entry into the Asia Pacific LNG market and Japan and Korea have a new long-term energy partner,' Sakhalin Energy Chief Executive Ian Craig said in a statement.

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Cruiseships will increase tourism

SHIPPING: The Greenland air company Air Greenland is in negotiation with American companies on employing more cruiseships in Greenland.

This will increase cruise tourism further after Greenland reached almost 47,000 cruise tourists last year."We are negotiating with a series of American companies at the moment on employing one or two new cruiseships in Greenland", says CEO of Air Greenland Michael Binzer to business.dk. According to a report from Air Greenland, Greenland had last year 47,000 cruise tourists, whereas there were 164 calls of 18 cruisers in 2003 with approx. 9,600 passengers.Every cruise guest pays a passenger fee of DKK 525 to Greenland's Home rule, similar to that in Alaska. In addition, shops' income in port cities from luxury tourists will benefit business in Greenland."If we get two new cruiseliners in Greenland, the shipping companies will to be able to begin services until 2012, as they plan 3 or 4 years ahead", says CEO Michael Binzer from Air Greenland to the newspaper.The Norwegian company Hurtigruten has already agreed with Air Greenland to make a joint marketing campaign, which will attract attention to Greenland as tourist destination from around the world.

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Coal transportation ship, 'Mon Desir'

If there were a worldwide competition for the most immaculate engine room, it might very well be won by an engine room from the Netherlands.

In fact it might even belong to Mr and Mrs Van der Stelt whose new vessel, ‘Mon Desir’, transports coal along the river system from the German Ruhrgebiet.The 135-metre-long hull of the vessel was built near the mouth of the Volga River in the JSC 3d International Shipyard in Astrakan, Russia.The vessel was then completed at the TeamCo Shipyard in Heuden, the Netherlands. The main engines in the vessel’s engine room are a pair of Cummins QSK50-M machines each producing 1,267kW at 1,800rpm. The engines are EU Stage iiia and EPA Tier 2 compliant.

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