Vietnam's Thi Vai Terminal Sets Sail into the Future with Maiden LNG Shipment Arrival

Vietnam: The Thi Vai LNG terminal in Vietnam welcomed the arrival of the Maran Gas Achilles vessel, which transported the country's first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The vessel, with Greek nationality, brought in around 70,000 tons of LNG from Bontang port in Indonesia and docked at the PV Gas wharf. This milestone marks Vietnam's entry into the global LNG market, and it is expected to fuel the growth of the country's energy sector. It is worth noting that Shell International Energy Group was selected as the supplier for this shipment.

An LNG vessel recently docked at the wharf, and according to the company, the LNG from the vessel will be pumped into the 180,000 m3 LNG tank using two DN500-sized loading arms and a DN900-sized import pipeline system. To ensure the safe reception of the ship and compliance with maritime regulations, Vung Tau Arms Processing Company (KVT), a unit of PV Gas, has been assigned the task of overseeing the related maritime work. This includes receiving LNG ships and closely coordinating with relevant parties to develop a plan for ensuring maritime safety for LNG ships up to 100,000 DWT to/from the port. PV Gas has stated that this option has been approved by the Vietnam Maritime Administration, and the necessary maritime conditions for ship reception are ready.

PV Gas recently announced that the Thi Vai LNG warehouse boasts a maximum LNG import volume of 11,000 m3/h. The facility is equipped with two product lines for its LNG storage tanks - a peak inlet line and a bottom entry line. Located in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau province of Vietnam, the Thi Vai facility is expected to offer a capacity of 1 million tons of LNG per year in phase 1, with plans to increase capacity to 3 million tons in phase 2.

PetroVietnam Gas (PV Gas) has become the first company in Vietnam to be certified by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to be an LNG importer and exporter. The certification will enable PV Gas to import LNG for commissioning and commercial operation of the 1MMTPA LNG terminal in Thi Vai, Vietnam. The company is set to receive its first imported LNG shipment, consisting of 70,000 tonnes of LNG from Bontang port in Indonesia, to Th? Vai LNG. PV Gas has also selected Shell to provide Vietnam's first LNG cargo, which will be used to commission the Thi Vai LNG terminal. Despite challenges such as unfavourable market conditions and regulatory obstacles, PV Gas intends to stick to its LNG import plans to offset falling domestic gas output.