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The official inauguration of the South Hook Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) receiving terminal at Milford Haven, in Wales, UK, took place yesterday, cementing a new era of Qatari economic relations with the UK.
The ceremony took place in the presence of HM The Queen of the United Kingdom and His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, as well as other members of both royal families and the CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson.
The South Hook terminal represents a technological milestone as a part of the Qatargas 2 LNG value chain project that will make additional supplies of cleaner-burning natural gas available to the UK and the rest of Europe.
South Hook LNG Terminal Company is owned by Qatar Petroleum (67.5%), ExxonMobil (24.15%) and Total (8.35%). It is part of the larger Qatargas 2 joint venture which supplies gas to the UK from Qatar’s North Field4. The natural gas comes from the North Field off the coast of Qatar, and is brought ashore to be processed and liquefied at Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar. It is then loaded onto a fleet of world-class Q-Max5 and Q-Flex LNG ships and transported to the UK.
The terminal adds to the UK’s LNG import capacity and energy diversity with the ability to deliver up to 2 billion cubic feet of gas daily into the natural gas grid when it reaches full operational capacity by the end of 2009. The terminal, which is being completed in two phases, includes five LNG storage tanks, a regasification plant, ship unloading systems and a jetty to allow berthing of the world’s largest LNG vessels.
“The inauguration of the terminal is a significant milestone in the Qatargas 2 project,” said His Excellency Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy & Industry. “ExxonMobil has been a strong partner with Qatar Petroleum, offering innovative technologies and expertise that have helped transform our regional gas resource into a global supply of clean-burning energy.”
Rex Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil, said: “In the years ahead, the world will continue to face many energy challenges as we meet the growing energy needs of the global economy in a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible way. South Hook, as a vital part of the Qatargas 2 project, stands as a shining example of how this can be achieved. Working together with Qatar Petroleum in open markets and under stable policies, South Hook is a striking example that international teamwork and technology can provide the energy needed to fuel economic growth, improve environmental performance, and build a brighter future for all.”
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is one of the fastest growing sources of energy supplies. Global LNG demand is expected to reach approximately 470 million tonnes per annum (MTA) by 2030, an increase of over 200 percent since 2005.
