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BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA, September 30th, 2009 Today His Excellency Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Premier, Minister of Energy and Industry, State of Qatar, and Chairman of Nakilat named Q-Max (266,000 CBM) LNG Carrier “Al Dafna.” The special ceremony was held at Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on Geoje Island, South Korea. “Today’s event marks another milestone in Qatar’s success story,” said H.E. Al-Attiyah.”The ship before you is not only one of the largest LNG carriers ever built, but also represents the vision and dream of a nation. In achieving this dream we recognize the dedication and commitment of tens of thousands of individuals from around the globe who have contributed to its success”. Mr. Muhammad Ghannam, Nakilat Managing Director, said: “The naming of the LNG carrier ‘Al Dafna’ is another very special event and important milestone for Nakilat. ‘Al Dafna’ is the fiftieth ship to be named in our fleet of 54 vessels which are being built in the South Korean shipyards to service Qatar’s massive LNG expansion projects. Twenty-two of the vessels in our fleet will be chartered to RasGas.” Mr. Hamad Rashid Al-Mohannadi, RasGas Managing Director (CEO), said: “Flawless execution is something we all take seriously. In this respect, we recognise the continued efforts of Nakilat in completing the necessary training and development preparations of their operation to ensure their new generation of LNG carriers are operated and maintained to the highest marine standards of operation and safety”. “Al Dafna” is the first RasGas Q-Max carrier and the largest ship built by Samsung for RasGas long term charter. She will complete the fleet of ships ordered as part of RasGas Train 6 and 7 ship building programme. With the delivery of “ Al Dafna” the RasGas charter fleet will reach a total of 27 LNG carriers including 14 conventional and 13 large LNG carriers, all of which have or will go on to play a very important and strategic role in the delivery of LNG to RasGas’ customers around the world. The Q-Flex and the even larger Q-Max are a new generation of LNG mega-ships. The Q-Max has 80 percent more capacity than conventional LNG carriers with about 40 percent lower energy requirements due to the economies of scale created by their size and the efficiency of the engines. Q-Max LNG carriers are unique and purpose-built for Nakilat, the sole owner of the vessels. “Al Dafna” will be chartered to RasGas on a long-term basis. Qatar has already become the world’s largest producer of LNG, and by 2011 will increase its exports to 77mta. Nakilat has become Qatar’s “floating pipeline” to the world markets and will play the leading role in transporting Qatar’s natural gas which will represent over 30 percent of the world’s total LNG production. About RasGas RasGas Company Limited is owned by Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil RasGas Inc. RasGas operates production facilities to treat, liquefy and export LNG to countries across Asia, Europe and USA. Based in Ras Laffan, Qatar, RasGas currently produces over 20 million metric tonnes of LNG per year (Mta) with five trains in operation. It is expected that this production will be approximately 37 Mta by the end of the decade, with the completion of seven operational trains. About Nakilat Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (known as “Nakilat”, which means carriers in Arabic) is a Qatari-listed shipping company established by the State of Qatar to own, operate and manage LNG vessels and to provide shipping and marine-related services to a range of participants within the Qatari hydrocarbon sector. Nakilat is an integral component of the supply chain of some of the largest, most advanced energy projects in the world undertaken by Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas, Rasgas and their joint venture partners for the State of Qatar. Nakilat was established in 2004 and is a joint stock company owned 50% by its founding shareholders and 50% by the public. It is building a large fleet of vessels to transport LNG produced from Qatar’s North Field, the world’s largest non-associated gas field with approximately 15% of the world’s total proven reserves to global markets. By 2010, Nakilat will own 54 LNG vessels, making it the largest LNG ship owner in the world. These vessels, ordered from Korean shipyards, incorporate the latest technology for safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation of LNG over many years, and are the result of several years of engineering design work and testing. Nakilat is involved in developing a new world class ship repair and dry dock facility in Ras Laffan. Nakilat has formed a Joint Venture (“JV”) with Keppel Offshore & Marine - a global leader ship conversion and repair as well as a specialized shipbuilder - to operate the new yard. The Nakilat Agency Company (NAC) acts as the exclusive “full port agency service” for all local and international ships calling at the Port of Ras Laffan. The business is diverse and the agency attends to all port and regulatory matters to ensure the most effective turnaround of ships loading or offloading at Ras Laffan. Nakilat Svitzerwijsmuller, a joint venture between Nakilat and Svitzer Middle East, owns and operates tug boats, pilot boats and other harbor craft at the port of Ras Laffan. This involves a fleet of 21 vessels deployed under a 22-year Harbour Towage and Mooring services contract which was awarded in 2006. NAKILAT press release
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