(EnergyAsia, December 6 2012, Thursday) —- Qatargas Operating Company Ltd said it will deliver the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Singapore’s new terminal due to open in the first quarter of next year.

The cargo, to be delivered on either a Q-Flex or a Q-Max LNG vessel, will be used to commission Singapore LNG Corporation (SLNG) Pte Ltd’s import terminal being built on Jurong Island.

Qatargas said this will be the second LNG terminal in Southeast Asia commissioned with its help. In June 2011, Qatargas delivered a commissioning cargo to Thailand’s Map Ta Phut LNG terminal.

Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatargas’s CEO, said:

“Qatari LNG continues to have a key role to play in helping countries around the world improve the diversity of their energy supplies. We are pleased with this development which will help to meet the growing demand for energy in Singapore and help us build our relationship with a new customer.

“Qatargas is at the forefront of commissioning new LNG terminals and is confident of its continuing ability to maintain safe, long-term reliable supplies of clean LNG energy to countries where it is needed the most.”

Qatargas has developed considerable expertise in supporting the commissioning of new LNG terminals around the world wide. To date, the company has provided commissioning cargoes to eight LNG terminals.

The Singapore facility will be the first open-access, multi-user LNG terminal in Asia.