PUSAN: H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned here yesterday sponsored the naming ceremony of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier and first Q-Max vessel to be built by Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard for QatarGas in the South Korean island of Geoje.
Formally named "Mozah", the vessel has a capacity of 266,000 cubic meters, an overall length of 345 meters, a breadth of 53.8 metres and a height of 34.71 metres. As Sheikha Mozah formally inaugurated the vessel, bells were rung and fireworks lit up the skies of Pusan to signal the beginning of this extraordinary event.
In a speech on this occasion, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, thanked all the "partners" for taking part in this "historic occasion" to mark the naming of the first Q-Max 266,000-cubic metre-capacity LNG carrier, Hull No 1675, the largest LNG carrier in the world.
"Today, we are honoured to have Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned as the gracious Patron for this historic event. Her presence with us today marks the significance of this very special occasion. This achievement could not have been realised without the continued guidance and support of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Heir Apparent. We thank them for their wisdom and leadership that has brought well-being and prosperity to our nation," Al Attiyah said.
"Today history is made. This ship is not only the largest and most advanced LNG carrier in the world but it also demonstrates our ability to achieve our vision of becoming the largest LNG ship owner in the world. In addition, it shows the vision and dream of a nation, the determination and capability of an industry and the dedication and commitment of thousands of individuals from around the globe who have contributed to Qatar's LNG industry and to this remarkable achievement," he added.
Al Attiyah also extended deepest congratulations to Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) for this great achievement, saying that Qatargas and Nakilat have proven themselves as world leaders in their respective industries.
He also praised the dedication and commitment they showed to translate Qatar's energy vision into reality. This vision to increase Qatar's LNG production to 77 million tonnes per year started on June 24, 2002, when Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil signed a Heads of Agreement for two LNG trains to supply UK with natural gas, a project which later became known as QatarGas 2, Al Attiyah said. This event marked the start of the largest LNG project that the world had ever seen.
Further projects soon followed including QG3 -- with Conoco Phillips and QG4 -- with Shell and the participation of Total in QatarGas 2, in addition to those announced by RasGas, he added.
"All these mega projects are matched by the construction and delivery of Nakilat's large and unique fleet of LNG carriers to transport and deliver Qatar's energy to the world, he noted. To meet this challenge, a team of experts was assembled, primarily from QP and ExxonMobil, to select the design, prepare the specifications and supervise the construction of the optimum sized vessels for the QatarGas 2 project, Al Attiyah said.
With the successful completion of these mega projects and Nakilat's large LNG ships, Qatar will become the world's largest producer of LNG and will be in a position to provide the world with 77 million tonnes of LNG per year, which represents over 30 percent of the world's total LNG production volume, he added.
© The Peninsula 2008
