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MARCH2012LocalExpertiseLNGPortOperationslISSREPORTERwww.iss-shipping.com19IncertaincasesdeterminedbythevesselowneroperatorLNGvesselsmusthaveescorttugsfortheinboundtransitdayornight.Eachterminalhascontractedtugsthattheyutilizefordockingandundockingandstandingbythevesselduringcargooperations.VesselscallingCameronLNGmusthavededicatedtugsfortheentiredurationofthevesselx19sportstaywhilealongsideaswellasassistingvesselspassingbythefacility.Eachterminalhasdifferentrequirementsfordeliveryofbunkers.AtCameronLNGbunkersarepermittedonacasebycasebasis.Ifpermittedthebunkerbargeisrequiredtobealongsideandthebunkerhoseconnectedbeforecargoarmsorcargooperationscancommence.Onlyaftercompletingbunkeringwilltheterminalcommencetostartcargooperations.AttheTrunkLineTerminalnobunkerbargesarepermittedalongsideatanytime.Thiscreatesadilemmaforvesselscominginonlongtransitsthatareinneedoffueltoundertaketheirnextvoyage.Bothterminalsallowstoresprovisionsandsparepartstobedeliveredhoweveronlyvialaunchwhichmustarriveanddepartthevesselpriortothecargoarmsandcargooperationscommencing.NormaldischargingtimeforanLNGvesselatanyberthisbetween18-24hours.x1cTheagentx19sroleonanLNGvesselisuniquetothistypeofshipx1dsaysPippinx1cparticularlywhenitcomestotheadditionalrequirementsandregulationsfortheUSCoastGuardandtowage.x1dAstherearemultipleplayersinvolvedtheroleofaMarineCoordinationAgentwasconceivedfollowingdiscussionwithvariouscompaniesandinstigatedbyISS.ThemainpurposeoftheMCAistocoordinatethetowageoperationincludingtheaccountingandotherinformationregardingthetowagecontractactingasago-betweenwiththeLNGpartnersandthetowagecontractor.TheMCAalsocoordinatesMarineWorkingGroupmeetingsbetweenthevariouspartieswhereportoperationsarediscussedincludingtowagepilotagegovernmentregulationsandmore.InessencetheMCAroleservesasaneutralpartybetweenallpartnersinvolvedintheportcall.AtISSMarkPippinistheMCAfortheCameronLNGTerminalwherethepartnersareSempraLNGandENIwhilsthiscounterpartinMexicoOctavioArmasisMCAfortheEnergiaCostaAzulLNGterminalinEnsenadaBajaCalifornia.HerethepartnersareSempraLNGBPTangguhShellandGazprom.AsanimportantfootnotethediscoveryofshalegasintheUShaspromptedexistingaswellaspotentialnewfacilitiestobebuiltwithliquefactioncapabilityradicallyalteringthebalanceoftrade.WhereseveralbilliondollarfacilitieshavebeendevelopedoverrecentyearsfortheimportofLNGbasedonthefearofshortagesthesearenowbeingtransformedintoexportfacilitieswithUSGovernmentapproval.Thisinturnhasresultedinatransitionallullinbusinessuntilconversionworkiscompletedx13stilltwoyearsormoreaway.MiddleEastIndiaLNGloadingoperationsintheMiddleEastareprincipallycentredonAbuDhabiOmanandQatarwhereportagencyworkistraditionallyhandledbystateorlocalagents.HoweverduetorestrictionsonvesselhusbandryatmostoftheloadterminalsintheregionLNGtankerscarryoutsurveyworkandcrewchangesandtakeonsparesandsuppliesatFujairaheitherwhenintransittoorfromtheloadportorwhilewaitingattheFujairahanchoragewhichisthemajorhusbandrypointintheMiddleEastforthiskindofbusiness.ISShandlessuchcallsfromavarietyofownersincludingsuchmajoroperatorsasMitsuiOSKLinesandBWGaswiththeISSlaunchfleetbasedoutofFujairahandKhorfakkanservicingsuchhusbandryrequirements.AfurtheroperationforISSonbehalfofglobalclientssuchasTeekayLNGPartnersandExmaristheservicingoffloatingre-gasificationunitsoperatedfromportsinKuwaitandBahrain.AndacrosstheArabianSeathePetronetre-gasificationplantatDahejinGujiratIndiaalsoplacesademanduponISSforagencyservices.JapanISSJapanrepresentssevenLNGprojectsaswellasspotcallstotalingsome700LNGportcallsannually.ISShasadedicatedoperationsteambasedinTokyohandlingthecompanyx19sLNGbusinesswitheachteammemberhavingspecialistknowledgeofboththeoperationalandmarketworkingsofthetrade.ISSJapanalsomaintainsitsownportofficesatYokohamaOsakaandKobewithoverallmanagementfromTokyoofficewherethededicatedoperatorsdealwithover200localterminalandportagentsareallwellschooledinISSx19operationalproceduresandstandardsandworkingunderthesupervisionofISSJapan.AllteamoperationsmanagersaregraduatesoftheTokyoMercantileMarineUniversity.AndISSx19ownportcaptainsormarinesuperintendentsrendertheirexpertiseasandwhenrequired.ISSJapanmaintainsafulldatabaseofportinformationinCDandbookletformforcustomers.ThedataisregularlyupdatedgivingacomprehensiveguidetotheberthswharvesandterminalsofJapan.ThisincludesnotonlyportinformationbutalsoweatherdataandLNGmarketnews.x1cThebasicserviceisofcoursetosetuptheAustraliaISSVesselOperatorJordanLowwassurprisedtohearsomuchabouthishometownofAberdeenScotlandsincearrivingtotakeuphispostinDarwin.Atfirstglancetheredoesnx19tappeartobemuchincommonbetweenwindsweptchillyoldAberdeenandthetropicalAustraliancitybutitseemstherearesimilarities.RecentspeculationaboutamajorgasdealinDarwinhaspromptedanunlikelypartnershipandNorthernTerritoryChiefMinsterPaulHendersonbelievestheycanlearnalotfromEuropex19sEnergyCapitalandhassubsequentlyvisitedAberdeentomeetwithindustryexpertsandharbourofficialstodiscusstheparallelsandpossiblestrategies.On13JanuarytheJapanesecompanyInpexalongwithFrenchprojectpartnerTotalmadeitsfinalinvestmentdecisiontosecureaA33billionLNGprojectrepresentingahugeboostfortheportofDarwin.AswasthecaseinAberdeeninthe1970sthereareplanstoextendtheportinfrastructureandintroduceahightechVTSamongotherimprovementstodealwiththeresultingincreaseinshippingtraffic.ItishopedthattheprojectwilleventuallymakeAustraliatheworldx19slargestexporterofLNG.shipsinandoutportcallinthemosteffectivewaywithminimumturnaroundtimex1dsaysTetsuroKatoLNGTankerOperationsManager.x1cInconjunctionwithlocalpartiesweproactivelyavoiddelayswithcarefulplanningbeforetheshipx19sarrival.x1dKeyfeaturesoftheISSserviceinclude5Proactiveportinformationwithpreciseshipmovementsandprospectsadvisedwellinadvance5Weeklycongestionline-upreportsforallvesselsinJapaneseports5Closesupervisionofterminalportagentstoachievequickdispatchofthevessel5Proactiveminimisingofportcostsandtimeinport5ClosecontactswithinJapanx19sshippingindustryincludingauthoritiescargosuppliersandimporters5RegularLNGmarketnewsprovidedtoLNGcustomers5MarinesuperintendentsavailableondemandtoattendanytypeofvesselsincludingLNGtankersatanyport5ISO9001certification.ISSJapanx19sspecialistLNGagencyexperiencemakesitthecountryx19sleadinghandlingagentforthesespecialisedtankersapositionitisproudtooccupy.