Warren R. True
OGJ Chief Technology Editor-LNG/Gas Processing
HOUSTON, Sept. 9 -- The Persian Gulf’s first LNG regasification terminal, Kuwait’s offshore Mina Al-Ahmadi GasPort, received its first cargo earlier this month.
The cargo arrived aboard the 150,900-cu m Express, a combined LNG carrier and regasification vessel owned and operated by Excelerate Energy LLC, The Woodlands, Tex.
According to an announcement from Excelerate’s joint-venture partner RWE AG, the vessel regasified and delivered 130,000 cu m into the offshore port and directly into the country’s gas grid. The LNG was loaded Woodside’s North West Shelf LNG plant in Australia.
The Mina Al-Ahmadi GasPort lies about 25 miles south of Kuwait City and was built by Excelerate for Kuwait National Petroleum Co. Construction started in 2008.
The terminal is intended as an interim solution to meet Kuwait’s current gas needs, according to KPC, in advance of future development of domestic gas reserves to meet industrial and commercial demands.
One of Excelerate Energy’s Energy Bridge regasification vessels (EBRV) will be stationed at the existing Mina Al-Ahmadi south jetty and can deliver regasified LNG at a baseload rate of up to 500 MMcfd, says KPC.
In addition, the terminal will incorporate a shuttle tanker berth that will provide for ship-to-ship LNG transfer and boil-off gas management capabilities between a conventional LNG carrier and the EBRV, according to the company.
Other sites served by Excelerate technology and vessels are the US (Texas and Massachusetts), the UK (Teesside), and Argentina (Bahia Blanca).
Contact Warren R. True at [email protected].