Canada’s National Energy Board has issued a 20-year license to KM LNG Operating General Partnership to export LNG from Kitimat, BC, to Asia-Pacific markets.

Operations at Europe’s only LNG exporting plant, Statoil’s Hammerfest on Melkoya island, will cease Oct. 14 to address a contraction in a heat-exchanger tube. The company announcement said the plant would remain shutdown for 2-3 weeks.

Teekay LNG Operating LLC and Marubeni Corp. plan to acquire Maersk LNG for $1.4 billion, the parent conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk Group announced Oct. 12 in a news release from Copenhagen.

Dominion Resources Inc., Richmond, Va., has asked the US Department of Energy for permission to use its Cove Point, Md., LNG import terminal as an export facility as well.

Chevron Australia has awarded a $235 million (Aus.) construction management contract for the Wheatstone LNG project to WorleyParsons.

African natural gas that is now being liquefied for export could be redirected to domestic electric power generation as customers in Europe, Asia, and the US exploit shale gas resources in their own countries, experts suggested during a discussion of African energy needs.

Total SA and Russian independent producer Novatek signed final agreements to develop Yamal LNG (OGJ Online, Mar. 21, 2011).

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said its latest exploratory well off Mozambique found 140 net ft of gas pay in Miocene and Oligocene sand packages shallower than those in earlier wells and boosted its view of the resource potential of Offshore Area 1 to at least 10 tcf of gas.

Russia’s OAO Novatek said it increased its equity interest in the Yamal LNG project to 100% from 51% by exercising call options through wholly owned subsidiary Novatek North West.

BG Group signed a heads of agreement agreeing to provide LNG in India on a long-term basis to Gujarat State Petroleum Corp. (GSPC). Terms of the HOA call for as much as 2.5 million tonnes/year for a 20-year period starting as early as 2014. The LNG volumes will be sourced from BG Group’s global assets.

The Wheatstone LNG gas project planned for Western Australia was granted environmental approval by Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke, although it comes with 70 conditions attached.

Northwest Europe saw the opening of another LNG terminal this week when partners NV Nederlandse Gasunie and Royal Vopak formally opened the Gate LNG terminal in Maasvlakte near Rotterdam.