QATARGAS DELIVERS 100TH CARGO TO UK

Doha, Qatar, 14 November 2010: Qatargas announced a major milestone as it successfully delivered the 100th liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo to the UK, within a record span of only twenty months, from commissioning its first cargo from Qatar back in March 2009.

This achievement now takes the total amount of LNG safely delivered to the UK to approximately 23.5 million cubic metres – that’s enough natural gas to keep 9.2 million UK households supplied for a year.

The 100th cargo, onboard ‘Zarga’, a Q-Max vessel with a capacity of 266,000 cbm, was delivered to the UK buyer South Hook Gas Company Limited. The cargo was unloaded safely at the South Hook LNG Terminal in Milford Haven, Wales . From there, it is being regasified and delivered by South Hook Gas Company to the UK customers through the National Grid system.

Delivery of this 100th cargo to the UK comes just weeks before the State of Qatar celebrates an important milestone of its own – fulfilling the vision of His Highness The Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, under the guidance of His Excellency Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Premier and Minister for Energy & Industry, that by the end of 2010 Qatar will have a combined production capacity of 77 million tonnes of LNG a year.

Commenting on this 100th cargo milestone achievement, Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatargas, said:

“The delivery of this 100th cargo to the UK through our Qatargas 2 is a major milestone in the fulfillment of the State’s vision. It demonstrates Qatar’s commitment to providing the UK, an important customer market with a safe and reliable source of clean burning, natural gas.”

As the biggest LNG importer in the UK and a terminal shipper, which owns and manages all of the regasification capacity at the terminal, South Hook Gas Company’s General Manager Rashid Al-Marri said: “We see this as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment as a stable, reliable long-term player in the UK, at a time when security of energy supply remains a pressing issue. Gas provides flexibility and is a responsible energy choice.”

The South Hook LNG Terminal is the largest in Europe its Director & General Manager Mohammed Al-Naimi, added:

“The unloading and the regasification of the 100th cargo is an important accomplishment for the South Hook Terminal and our Shareholders. Zarga’s safe discharge represents our continued commitment to the highest operational and safety standards. I am proud of those who have been a part of this process.”

Qatargas continues to play a significant and important role in the security of UK energy supplies.

Qatargas press release