By Curtis Williams
OGJ Correspondent
PORT OF SPAIN, Feb. 28 -- The partners of Atlantic LNG Co. of Trinidad & Tobago Ltd. expect to produce as much additional LNG as would be produced by a small LNG train when they debottleneck the existing three trains, according to BG Group PLC, the second largest Atlantic LNG shareholder.
"We have said that the debottlenecking is supposed to add. . .1.5-3 million tonnes/year," said BG Group spokesman Christopher Carter. "Based on the existing trains, that's in the region of 165 MMscfd for each tonne of train capacity." The partners expect to complete the debottlenecking program in 2008.
In addition to operating the three existing trains, Atlantic LNG is constructing a 5.2 million-tonne/year fourth train, which will give the facility a combined capacity of 15 million tonnes/year. Most of the LNG is shipped to the US. BG said the partners also were actively pursuing the possibility of a fifth LNG train (OGJ Online, Apr. 19, 2004).
With the additional capacity the company could easily increase LNG output to 17 million tonnes/year, BG said. Both BG and BP Trinidad & Tobago LLC will supply the additional gas when debottlenecking efforts are complete, Carter said.
"The right to supply the trains is dictated under the existing contracts, and this will not change under debottlenecking," he explained. "BG will maintain its percentage share of the new total capacity for each train. We do not supply any gas to Train 1 and have a 50% supply right to Train 2 and 25% to Train 3. BP is currently the only other supplier into the three other existing trains."
Carter said the recent Manatee 1 gas discovery by ChevronTexaco and BG has also shown that gas will be available for a fifth train (OGJ Online, Feb. 18, 2005).
Atlantic LNG partners include BP, BG, National Gas Co. Trinidad & Tobago Ltd., Repsol LNG Port Spain BV, and Tractebel LNG.
