Mexico's First-Ever Liquefied Natural Gas Cargo Arrives at Altamira's Regasification Terminal
- LNG Cargo's Arrival Marks the Start of Altamira's Commissioning Phase
sev.prnewswire.com
TAMPICO, Mexico, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Terminal de LNG de Altamira, a
joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell plc (50 percent), Total and Mitsui
(each 25 percent), today announced the arrival of the first liquefied
natural gas (LNG) cargo ever to be delivered to Mexico.
The 138,000-cubic-meter, Shell-owned LNG cargo was delivered to
Mexico's first LNG regasification terminal near Tampico, Tamaulipas, on the
country's Northeast coast, by the Shell-operated vessel SS Gracilis, after
a 14-day, 6,257-nautical miles journey from the Nigeria LNG plant in
Africa. The arrival of the cargo signals the start of the commissioning
phase at Altamira. Subsequent LNG cargos will be delivered by both Shell
and Total, as holders of 75 percent and 25 percent respectively of the
terminal's capacity rights.
Mateo Lopez-Colome, Managing Director of Terminal de LNG de Altamira,
said: "Altamira is the first energy infrastructure project of its kind in
Mexico and the arrival of the first LNG cargo marks the end of the
terminal's construction and the start of the commissioning phase. We are
proud to have reached today's milestone safely, on-time and within budget,
and we now look forward to the successful completion of the commissioning
phase and the start of commercial operations."
Once fully operational, Terminal de LNG de Altamira will provide Mexico
with an additional source of energy, which will further strengthen the
country's security of supply. LNG deliveries will also support Mexico's
energy policy by fueling new power generation to meet an expected growth in
demand in a timely fashion. Mexico's power authority, Comision Federal de
Electricidad (CFE), has contracted to purchase 5.2 billion cubic meters of
regasified LNG per annum from Altamira (equivalent to 3.9 million tonnes of
LNG per year), which will be used for power generation to support existing
and future industry in the region.
Commercial deliveries of natural gas to CFE are expected to commence in
October 2006. A ceremony commemorating the terminal's full operational
start- up is scheduled for early next year.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On the Altamira LNG project
The project consists of two 150,000 cubic-meter-capacity,
full-containment outer-concrete/inner steal tanks for LNG storage,
re-gasification facilities and pipelines to connect to the existing
pipeline system in Tamaulipas. The project also includes marine
installations, allowing specially designed 180,000 cubic meter carriers to
supply LNG to the terminal.
On LNG
Liquefied natural gas is natural gas cooled to minus-161 Celsius to
reach its liquid state. Its volume is 1/600 of natural gas in vapor form,
which allows it to be transported long distances by specially-designed
ships to markets, including Mexico, where demand for natural gas is strong.
When LNG is delivered to regasification terminals such as Altamira, it is
warmed back into a gaseous state for delivery to customers via standard
natural gas pipelines.
A reliable, clean and safe energy source, natural gas is the most
environmentally friendly fossil fuel. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons
composed primarily of methane and is found in reservoirs beneath the
earth's surface commonly -- but not always -- associated with oil deposits.
SOURCE Terminal de LNG de Altamira |
