ConocoPhillips said Wednesday the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Qatargas 3 (QG3) joint venture, in which it has a 30% stake, was shipped last Thursday (Nov. 25) from Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, bound for the Canaport LNG Terminal in Saint John, NB.

QG3 “increases our company’s global LNG output while contributing to Qatar’s achievement of reaching total LNG production capacity of 77 million [metric tons per year],” said ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva.

“During the five years of development work that this massive project required, we have enjoyed the opportunity to establish close, collaborative relationships with Qatargas, Qatar Petroleum and the people of Qatar and now look forward to seeing QG3 provide clean-burning natural gas to markets throughout the world.”

The QG3 venture was formed in 2005 and is owned by ConocoPhillips (30%), Qatar Petroleum (68.5%) and Mitsui (1.5%). The venture includes a fully integrated LNG project, inclusive of reservoir development, offshore wellhead production platforms and pipelines, and an onshore liquefaction plant with associated common storage and loading facilities, as well as chartering of LNG ships to support about 7.8 million metric tons of annual LNG deliveries, ConocoPhillips said.

Separately in October Canaport partner Repsol and Qatargas signed a multiyear agreement for Qatargas to supply LNG to Repsol Energy Canada Ltd. at Canaport (see Daily GPI, Oct. 8).

©Copyright 2010Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.