Qatar Petroleum (QP) said that it has ordered four new LNG carriers from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).

These four carriers are the first batch of orders in Qatar Petroleum’s massive LNG shipbuilding program, which will cater for future LNG fleet requirements for the North Field expansion projects as well as for existing vessel replacement requirements.

This order is also the first ever placed by Qatar Petroleum or any of its affiliates with a Chinese shipyard for LNG ships, and the first with Hudong in connection with the agreement to reserve ship construction capacity that was executed in April 2020.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “We continue to push forward with our LNG expansion projects, and today’s announcement is yet another step in our journey. I am especially pleased with the signing of this order as it marks our first ever new LNG carrier to be built in the People’s Republic of China.”

“We are proud to contribute to the success story of the LNG ship construction industry in China. We are also confident in Hudong’s capabilities to execute this order, worth in excess of 2.8 billion Qatari Riyals, to the highest safety and technical standards and to deliver top quality LNG carriers that will facilitate continued safe and reliable delivery of LNG to the world.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hudong’s team for all the hard work to bring this order to fruition during these challenging times. I would also like to thank the leadership of our esteemed partner, CSSC, for their valuable support to this effort in line with our mutual desire to further strengthen the excellent relations between China and Qatar. I am very grateful to the Qatar Petroleum and Qatargas teams, whose dedicated efforts were instrumental in reaching this milestone,” Al-Kaabi concluded.

The North Field expansion projects will increase Qatar's LNG production capacity from 77 million tons per annum to 126 million tons per annum. Qatar Petroleum’s LNG carrier fleet program is the largest of its kind in the history of the LNG industry and will play a pivotal role in meeting the shipping requirements of Qatar Petroleum’s local and international LNG projects, as well as replacing some of Qatar's existing LNG fleet. – TradeArabia News Service