Africa Oil & Gas: Angola First LNG cargo since April 2014(?!)

Chevron-led Angola LNG project could ship a cargo of chilled gas in the coming weeks as an LNG tanker is heading towards the plant in Soyo, shipping data showed.

This would be the first cargo of chilled gas to leave the Soyo LNG export plant since the project was shut down in April 2014 after a major rupture on a flare line. The $10 billion LNG project started recommissioning process in January this year.

The 160,500-cbm LNG tanker Sonangol Sambizanga is expected to dock at the liquefaction and export plant in Soyo around April 15,  according to AIS data provided by the vessel tracking website, MarineTraffic.

Chevron did not respond to an email by LNG World News seeking comment on the matter by the time this article was published.

Earlier this year, Chevron’s CEO John Watson said the company expects to ship first LNG cargo during the second quarter of this year. According to Watson, most of the first production from Angola LNG will be sold on spot market.

Angola LNG also recently signed a “flexible” deal with EDF Trading, a unit of EDF, under which it will deliver multiple cargoes on an ex-ship basis (DES) from 2016 through to 2018.

The LNG plant in Soyo is a single-train facility able to produce 5.2 million tonnes per year. Angola LNG also has a dedicated fleet of seven LNG tankers.

Angola LNG is a joint venture between Chevron (36.4%), Sonangol (22.8%), BP (13.6%), Eni (13.6%), and Total (13.6%). (Source: LNG World News Staff)