By Eric Watkins
Middle East Correspondent
NICOSIA, July 7 -- Nigeria LNG Ltd. has begun LPG shipments ahead of schedule from its plant in Bonny, with 40,000 tonnes of LPG—sold to Vitol SA of Switzerland—en route to Galena Park, Tex aboard the Berge Clipper.
NLNG's three trains are expected to produce 1.2 million tonnes/year when its LPG production plateau is reached, while output will climb to 2.2 million tonnes/year when Trains 4 and 5—now under construction—come on stream.
The Nigerian firm runs an integrated plant in Bonny with the trains sharing common facilities, including utilities, storage tanks, and loading jetties.
The plant's LPG facilities, which began operation in April, were constructed as part of the Train 3 expansion. They will enable each of the existing trains to process associated gas that otherwise would have been flared.
NLNG Managing Director Andrew Jamieson told OGJ he is pleased with the early completion of the LPG plant as well as with the company's efforts to establish LPG in the international market.
In May, NLNG stepped up its presence in the US spot LNG cargo market following an agreement to supply BG LNG Services (BGLS) with 3 billion cu m/year of LNG for 20 years (OGJ Online, May 14, 2003).
NLNG is a Nigerian joint venture of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. 49%, Shell Gas BV 25.6%, TotalFinaElf LNG Nigeria Ltd.15%, and Agip International NA BV 10.4%.
