ExxonMobil, Mitsui sign LNG carrier deals

March 5, 2010
Mitsui OSK Lines has signed separate deals with ExxonMobil Corp. for the construction and charter of LNG carriers earmarked for the Papua New Guinea LNG and Gorgon-Jansz LNG projects.

Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Mar. 5 -- Mitsui OSK Lines has signed separate deals with ExxonMobil Corp. for the construction and charter of LNG carriers earmarked for the Papua New Guinea LNG and Gorgon-Jansz LNG projects.

For PNG LNG, Mitsui will charter two existing 177,000-cu m capacity carriers co-owned by Itochu Corp.

Mitsui also entered two heads of agreement for the construction and long-term charter of four other LNG carriers for the PNG LNG and Gorgon-Jansz projects.

The vessels will be built in China with a delivery dates scheduled for 2014-16.

First LNG from both projects is expected in 2014.

The ExxonMobil-operated PNG LNG project will cost $15 billion and have a production capacity of 6.6 million tonnes/year of LNG.

The Chevron Corp.-operated Gorgon-Jansz project (in which ExxonMobil has 25%) will have a production capacity of 15 million tpy of LNG plus a 300 TJ/day gas component via a pipeline to the mainland.