Doha: Qatar Gas Transport Company (Naqilat) will assume responsibility for providing ship agency services to all vessels calling at Ras Laffan Port, according to a news release issued by the company.
Naqilat will act as exclusive agent on behalf of its subsidiary, Nakilat Agency Company, which will formally take over later this month.
For vessels loading and discharging cargoes in Ras Laffan, Naqilat Agency Company will provide a full range of agency services, including port clearance, disbursements, arranging for tugs, pilots, immigration and crew transport.
At present, approximately 2,400 vessels call at Ras Laffan annually. The number of vessels is expected to rise to over 4000 per year by 2010.
Besides, Naqilat Agency Company is in discussion with Qatargas and RasGas for the provision of agency services at the LNG discharge ports worldwide.
This will be complemented by Naqilat's plans to form other ventures to provide services to the shipping community in Qatar, vessels calling at Qatari ports and to support its ship repair yard when operational.
A Naqilat spokesman noted that businesses like the agency and the other ventures to be shortly announced will provide early cash flow to the company while its larger long tem businesses are being developed. These include LNG ship ownership, the building of a ship repair yard in Ras Laffan, and the transport of associated products such as LPG and sulphur from Qatar.
© The Peninsula 2005
