Qatargas’s Al Gharrafa Loaded in Trinidad

Qatargas has reported the loading of liquefied natural gas into the Al Gharrafa Q-Flex tanker at Atlantic LNG’s Point Fortin terminal on the island of Trinidad in the West Indies. This marks the first time that a Q-Flex tanker has been loaded outside of Ras Laffan, Qatar.

The vessel was sub-chartered by Sempra LNG Shipping and is being used by Sempra to carry a maintenance cargo of approximately 135,000 cubic meters to its Energia Costa Azul facility on the west coast of Mexico, near Ensenada.

During this voyage the Al Gharrafa will reportedly become the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier to ever transit around Cape Horn, the tip of South America. The vessel is expected to discharge in Mexico in early September 2008. The successful loading of the cargo in Trinidad comes after the discharge of a cargo in the US.

Abdallah Al Sulaiti, Qatargas shipping manager, said: “The Q-Flex and Q-Max class of vessels are achieving a number of firsts for the industry. This is an exciting time for us as we commercially employ our chartered fleet and gain valuable experience in the lead up to the Train-4 coming online.”