K Line names new LNG carrier for Ichthys LNG project

Japanese Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) held a naming ceremony for a newly-built liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier at Nagasaki Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI).

The 288m vessel was given the name “Oceanic Breeze” by Mr. Toshiaki Kitamura, President of INPEX Corporation (INPEX). The ship will have a tank capacity of 155,300m3 and she will be carrying LNG from the Ichthys LNG Project in Darwin, Australia to Naoetsu, Niigata after her delivery.

As K Line informed, the vessel was designed by MHI and has adopted “SAYAENDO” which features a continuous cover integrated with the vessel’s hull that is light-weight and minimizes wind pressure which accomplishes low fuel consumption, while successfully achieving environmentally-friendly conditions.

The new-built LNG carrier will be time-chartered by INPEX Shipping Co., Ltd., subsidiary of INPEX.

Located about 220 kilometres offshore Western Australia, Ichthys project represents the largest discovery of hydrocarbon liquids in Australia in 40 years. The Ichthys LNG Project is currently in construction and is ranked among the most significant oil and gas projects in the world. The project is effectively three mega-projects rolled into one, involving some of the largest offshore facilities in the industry, an onshore processing facility and an 890 km pipeline uniting them for an operational life of at least 40 years.

The Ichthys LNG Project is a Joint Venture between INPEX group companies (Operator), major partner Total, CPC Corporation Taiwan and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric Power, JERA and Toho Gas.