Banking on bunkers

摘要

LNG-powered shipping will produce a first this month with an expected ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operation. Norwegian gas distributor Gasnor will be doing the honours. Trude Gullaksen, who is head of Gasnor's commercial department, has said the company will supply 1,000 m3 of LNG from its chartered, 1,100 m3 mini-LNG carrier Pioneer Knutsen (built 2004) to the fuel tanks on board Tarbit Shipping's newly converted 25,000 dwt coastal tanker Bit Viking (built 2006). Gullaksen, who was speaking on the sidelines of Informa's LNG Global Congress conference in London at the end of September, could not say where the operation will be carried out but explained that two, similar LNG STS transfers to the Bit Viking are due to take place shortly, one at the end of October and the other in November.