Qatar makes history with largest LNG ship

Qatar’s first Q-Max LNG carrier
BUSAN, South Korea: “I give my name to her – Mozah. May she sail safe and smooth wherever she goes in the world.”
With these words history was created. The world’s largest LNG carrier was now Qatar’s very own.
Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad yesterday named Qatar’s first Q-Max liquefied natural gas carrier at Samsung’s Geoje Shipyard to a rapturous reception and a glittering sideshow.
HH Sheikha Mozah was then taken on a tour of the floating giant and briefed on its capabilities, accompanied by HE the Deputy Premier Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, South Korea’s Minister of Knowledge and Economy Lee Youn-Ho and officials and ambassadors.
Speaking on the occasion al-Attiyah said: “Today, history has been made. This ship is not only the largest and most advanced LNG carrier in the world but it also demonstrates our ability to achieve our vision of becoming the largest LNG ship owner in the world.
“In addition it shows the vision and dream of a nation, the determination and capability of an industry, and the dedication and commitment of thousands of individuals from around the globe who have contributed to Qatar’s LNG industry and to this remarkable achievement.”
Known as Hulk 1675 till the naming ceremony yesterday, the 266,000-cubic-metre vessel is due for delivery by mid-September and scheduled to start ferrying Qatargas LNG to the United Kingdom in October. It has already passed its sailing and gas carrying tests.
Mozah is the first wholly-owned LNG carrier in the Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) fleet of vessels, said Mohamed Ghannam, its managing director. It is the 29th ship to be named in the fleet.
By the third quarter of this year, 28 of the 29 jointly-owned LNG vessels will be operational and by the third quarter of next year, all of these vessels will be fully operational, added Ghannam.
“And, over the next two years, all of our 25, wholly-owned, new LNG ships, 14 Q-Max and 11 Q-Flex, will be fully operational.”
The 345-metre-long Mozah measures 58 metres at the beam. It is the first of 11 Q-Max ships being built by Samsung Heavy Industries for Nakilat.
Samsung will also be building seven Q-Flex – a much smaller, 217,000-cubic-metre version of the Q-Max – and two conventional LNG carriers, the smallest of the models, for Nakilat.
The Q-Max is 80% larger than the conventional carriers and includes a number of firsts that include onboard liquefaction units, slow speed diesel engines, twin propellers and rudders, larger membrane cargo tanks, besides the latest in hull anti-fouling protection and improved fire-protection systems.
The biggest though it might be, the Q-Max consumes 40% less energy and emissions per cargo-ton mile compared to the conventional ships, said Ghannam.
He said: “Q-Max ships can deliver LNG for about 20% less cost than we can with conventional carriers. This means that we can deliver LNG to more distant markets and remain competitive with other sources of energy.
“We are positioned to have the entire Qatar LNG fleet ready to transport LNG around the globe by 2010. We are committed to deliver Qatar’s energy to the world in a safe and reliable manner,” Ghannam said.
Yesterday’s function was attended by the ambassador of Qatar to Korea and the Korean ambassador to Qatar, Nakilat, Qatargas and Samsung officials among other guests.

3-D RADAR SYSTEM FOR EMIRI AIR FORCES

3-D RADAR SYSTEM FOR EMIRI AIR FORCES: HH the Deputy Emir, Heir Apparent and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the inauguration of the 3-D Radar system at the Emiri Air Forces headquarters in Doha yesterday morning

Rice black market emerges in UAE

ABU DHABI: A black market for rice has emerged in the United Arab Emirates after government efforts to limit inflation through targeted price controls pushed rice supplies off store shelves, traders and consumers say.
The ministry of economy of the second-largest Arab economy has been trying to curb inflation — which hit a 20-year peak of 11.1% last year — partly by signing agreements with supermarket chains to fix food prices at 2007 levels.
“Now, it is not just a shortage of rice...we also have a black market for rice where some dealers will sell you any type of rice you want,” an Abu Dhabi-based food trader said.
“The price you pay a black market dealer could be as much as 20% more than what you pay normally.”
A March decision by India, the world’s second-biggest rice exporter in 2007, to ban exports of non-basmati rice triggered a wave of panic buying, causing benchmark Thai prices to nearly treble.
Last year, the UAE imported about 750,000 tonnes of rice mainly from India, Pakistan, Thailand and Egypt.
“Good quality rice from India and Pakistan, which is the only type of rice most of us eat here, is very hard to find sometimes in many supermarkets, until very recently when we started to find out where we can get it,” housewife Shama Chaurasia said.
“Not everyone knows about black market dealers as the government is keeping a close eye on them, but I don’t think the situation is getting any better soon.”
Traders in the UAE have said the country will continue to face a shortfall in rice supplies at least until August when consumer and producer nations replenish stocks and expected extra crops boost supplies.
The UAE is planning to secure more Thai rice imports this year to meet domestic demand, while its capital Abu Dhabi aims to develop over 70,000 acres of farmland in Sudan as the first step in a broader strategy to secure food supplies amid rising prices.
Soaring food prices are a main driver of inflation across the world’s biggest oil-exporting region, where most states, including the UAE, peg their currencies to the ailing dollar, which raises import costs.
Many rice importers are demanding at least a 25% subsidy, while the Emirates Society for Consumer Protection has urged the government to subsidise basic food items as part of measures to curb food price rises, which it expects to reach 40% this year.
“The number of traders who stopped importing rice in the last couple of months is scary. They want subsidies and compensation and the government is not giving any,” one rice trader said.
“We cannot import and make losses, if the countries we are importing from like Pakistan, demand higher prices and sell their output to other destination,” he added.
The UAE economy ministry plans to unveil other measures to protect consumers from rising prices, but would continue with a no-subsidy policy, the ministry under-secretary Mohamed Abdul Aziz al-Shihhi said on Thursday.

Source:Gulf times