Kumul LNG carrier delivered

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) has announced that the Kumul LNG carrier has been successfully delivered at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co. Ltd in Shanghai, China.

The vessel was ordered by Gemini LNG Shipping Ltd – a subsidiary of MOL – and is the last of four newbuilding LNG carriers ordered by MOL to provide LNG transportation services for projects in Papua New Guinea. The Kumul will be operated by MOL under a long-term charter contract for the PNG LNG project, which is operated by ExxonMobil.

This project marks the first time that a Chinese shipyard has constructed LNG carriers that have been ordered by a non-Chinese shipping company. It involves the transportation of LNG for Asian buyers, including China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec), as well as the joint ownership of LNG carriers between China’s ship operators, China COSCO Shipping Corp. (CCSC) and a Sinopec joint venture (JV).

Under a cooperative relationship with ExxonMobil and CSSC, MOL assigned technical experts to the shipyard since 2011 in order to help enhance ship construction quality and safety standards.

All four of the vessels have now been delivered and launched to sail under long-term charters with ExxonMobil. An MOL GROUP company will handle ship management.

Edited from various sources by David Rowlands

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/03052016/kumul-lng-carrier-delivered-2382/