Q-Flex LNG Carrier Completes First Ship-to-Ship Transfer

Qatari natural gas company Qatargas has announced the first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of a liquefied natural gas involving one of its Q-Flex LNG carriers.

The operation involved the Qatargas-chartered ‘Mesaimeer’ which had previously loaded a full cargo of 212,000 cubic meters of LNG of at the Ras Laffan Port, located outside of Doha, Qatar, on December 18, 2020.

The STS transfer took place January 6 when the Mesaimeer offloaded the first of two parcels to the 160,000 cbm Cool Voyager. The Qatargas said today that the delivery of the second parcel has now been completed at the Jiangsu LNG terminal in China. Petrochina was the customer in both instances.

The company said commercial STS operations will help make LNG transport more efficient.

“We are delighted to announce this shipping breakthrough as it is for the first time that one of the largest LNG vessels, a Q-Flex, is involved in a commercial STS operation,” said Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatargas’ Chief Executive Officer. “This achievement will enable us to transport considerable volumes as efficiently as possible into key markets. Moreover, this will be an attractive option for our potential customers with limited shipping capacity and for those who are looking for smaller or irregular sized cargo parcels.”

“STS transfers such as this one will optimize our shipping capabilities by using our most efficient LNG vessels to shift volumes into key high-value markets,” he said.

Automatic Identification System (AIS) data shows the Cool Voyager at the Port of Tieshan, China.

The Mesaimeer was built in 2009 and is registered in the Marshall Islands. It is operated by Nakilat Shipping (Qatar) Limited on long-term charter to Qatargas.