Mexico's Atamira LNG terminal gets first cargo

Aug. 22, 2006
Terminal de LNG de Altamira S de RL de CV—a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Total SA, and Mitsui & Co. Ltd.—reported that the first LNG cargo to be delivered to Mexico arrived at the Altamira terminal.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 22 -- Terminal de LNG de Altamira S de RL de CV—a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Total SA, and Mitsui & Co. Ltd.—reported that the first LNG cargo to be delivered to Mexico arrived at the Altamira terminal, signaling the start of the commissioning phase of the country's first LNG regasification terminal near Tampico, Tamaulipas state.

The 138,000 cu m of LNG was delivered via Shell-operated vessel SS Gracilis from the Nigeria LNG plant. Subsequent LNG cargos will be delivered by both Shell and Total, which hold a respective 75% and 25% interest of the terminal's capacity rights.

Mexico's power authority, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), has agreed to buy 5.2 billion cu m/year of regasified LNG for 15 years from Altamira. The LNG will be used for power generation to support existing and future industry in the northeast section of the country.

Commercial deliveries of gas to CFE are expected to start in October.

LNG deliveries will support Mexico's energy policy by fueling new power generation to meet an expected growth in demand.