(EnergyAsia, February 20 2012, Monday) — JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp, Japan’s largest oil refiner, said it has agreed to buy 200,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) a year over 17 years from Royal Dutch Shell Plc starting 2015.

Singapore-based Shell Eastern Trading Ltd will deliver the LNG in three shipments a year on a delivered basis to terminals in the Japanese ports of Hachinohe and Mizushima.

The Hachinohe terminal is under construction and due to start up in April 2015 while the Mizushima terminal, owned by Mizushima LNG Company Limited, is already in operation.

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp said the Hachinohe terminal will redistribute the natural gas and LNG to the northern part of Tohoku region, and the eastern part of Hokkaido through the Kushiro satellite terminal also scheduled to start up in April 2015.