Photo by: Bloomberg
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Natural gas major BG Group has taken operational control of Train 1 of the Queensland Curtis liquefied natural gas (QCLNG) project, after the project reached commercial completion.
The transfer of operational control of Train 1 marked the start of commercial operations at QCLNG, and followed just days after the project was officially launched. The QCLNG project produced its first LNG in December of last year, and to date, some 16 LNG cargoes have been shipped.
Train 2 was currently under construction, and was expected to start operations in the third quarter of 2015.
Once in operation, Train 2 would double the QCLNG production to eight-million tonnes a year.
Meanwhile, BG Group this week reported that it had received approval from its Train 1 equity partner China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) to sell the QCLNG gas pipeline to ASX-listed APA Group.
In December last year, BG Group agreed to sell its 100% equity interest in QCLNG pipeline to APA Group in a deal valued at $5-billion.
Following the CNOOC approval, the preconditions for the sales agreement have now been satisfied in full, and BG Group noted that the sale of the pipeline remained on track for completion during the second quarter of this year.