Qatar is seeking shipping companies to supply around 100 LNG carriers, one of the largest tenders in maritime history. Last year, the emirate already reserved space for the construction of a new LNG armada at the Korean big three, Daewoo, Samsung and Hyundai, and at China’s Hudong-Zhonghua for the period up to 2028.

The Korean yards previously built the Qatari’s current LNG fleet, the 45 so-called Q-Flexes, which can carry between 165,000 and 216,000 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas.

22 billion

Qatar has invited a group of shipping companies to submit offers based on the reserved newbuilding slots. The programme has an estimated value of USD 22 billion. Qatargas, the world’s largest LNG supplier, is in charge of the selection process.

The Qataris want the newbuild programme to secure, among other things, the supply of natural gas from the North Field off their own coast and from the new export terminal Golden Pass in Port Arthur, Texas. Billions have been invested in both projects in recent years.

North Field

The North Field already is the largest offshore gas field in the world and Qatar wants to significantly increase production in the coming years. Golden Pass is a joint venture with ExxonMobil and is aimed at liquefying and exporting American shale gas.

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Picture: Q-Flex LNG vessel Al Gharrafa (by Qatargas).

This article first appeared in Dutch on Nieuwsblad Transport, a publication of SWZ|Maritime’s publishing partner Promedia.