Bahrain LNG terminal contract success for Smit Lamnalco

The deal involves the deployment of four LNG terminal compliant 70tbp tugs to provide berthing and un-berthing of LNG tankers at the Bahrain LNG import terminal. Smit Lamnalco’s plans involve development of an infrastructure to support the project for the next 20 years utilising four tugs from its existing fleet which will be replaced after five years with four new purpose-built tugs for the following 15 years.

Stanley Maas, chief executive officer, Smit Lamnalco, said: “We are looking forward to working in partnership with Noga, nogaholding and its partners to deliver safe and reliable marine services that exceed expectations.” Adding: “We would also like to thank them for demonstrating their faith in Smit Lamnalco by awarding the marine services contract to our team.”

Bahrain LNG Terminal is jointly owned by The Oil & Gas Holding Company (nogaholding), Noga’s investment and development arm and a consortium consisting of Teekay LNG Partners, Gulf Investment Corporation and Samsung C&T.

The terminal is structured as a build, own, operate, transfer (Boot) project with ownership of the terminal reverting to Noga after 20 years of operation, the terminal combines both offshore and onshore facilities.

The offshore facilities will be located approximately 5km east of Khalifa bin Salman port and has been developed to provide security of supply of gas to Bahrain, supplementing domestic gas production from the ageing Khuff reserves.

Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahraini Minister of Oil, said: “I would like to congratulate the Smit Lamnalco, Noga, nogaholding and BLNG teams on the work that they have done to put this agreement in place. I welcome the addition of Smit to the growing family of industry leaders that have a presence in Bahrain.”

Smit Lamnalco has more than 50 years’ experience in providing services to ports and terminals in 30 countries supported by a fleet of 180 vessels in the world’s most remote locations including, in stark contrast to here, at Exxon Mobil’s subsidiary SPM in Sakhalin in the Far East of Russia where the nearest dock or service point is two days sailing away.