JAPANESE CONSORTIUM BRINGS LNG TO INDIA
A consortium of Japanese carriers in Tokyo has announced a joint project to ship liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan, Qatar, to India.
The joint venture, Petronet LNG Ltd., based in New Delhi, will operate two new 138,000 m3 LNG carriers, to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., in South Korea.
The first vessel, to be launched in December 2003, will sail under a 24-year charter. The next year, the second LNG carrier will sail under a 23-year charter.
Carriers in the consortium include MOL, the Shipping Corp. of India, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd..