Nakilat Shipping Qatar Limited (NQSL) has signed an agreement with Shell International Trading and Shipping to begin the planned phased transition of the management of Nakilat’s LNG fleet from Shell to NSQL.

Shell has provided a range of shipping services to Nakilat’s LNG fleet since it was established in 2006. These included the ship management of 14 Q-Max and 11 Q-Flex LNG carriers and the sharing of Shell’s Shipping & Maritime expertise. The vessels will be transitioned in three phases starting this year and shall be managed by Nakilat’s in-house ship management arm, NSQL, which currently manages four large LPG carriers and four Q-Flex LNG carriers.

Nakilat has carried out extensive studies and comprehensive preparations and planning to ensure the successful management of these essential assets to Qatar’s gas supply chain from Qatar to the world, which plays a major role in the national economic growth in alignment with the National Vision 2030

Nakilat managing director Abdullah Fadhalah Al Sulaiti said: “Today marks a milestone in Nakilat’s history as we embark on consolidating a fully-fledged ship operation for our wholly-owned vessels. It is a pivotal strategic milestone towards Nakilat’s ambition of establishing an integrated maritime industry in Qatar. We are grateful to Shell for their professional management of our vessels over the last eight years and are confident of NSQL upholding the same excellent standards for our vessels, ensuring the safety and integrity of cargo from Qatar to the rest of the world.”

Dr Grahaeme Henderson, vice president of Shell Shipping & Maritime, said: “We are proud to be a partner with Nakilat and to continue to support Qatar’s vision of building a world-class shipping business. This world-leading fleet includes some of the largest and most technically advanced vessels of their type and their cargo helps ensure energy security for millions of people around the world.”

This will be the world's largest transition of an LNG fleet operation. The 25 vessels have so far delivered over 320 million cu m of Qatar’s LNG to over 20 countries and have travelled 17 million nautical miles- the equivalent of over 780 trips around the equator’s circumference. – TradeArabia News Service