| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Q-Flex |
| Builders | Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company, Samsung Heavy Industries |
| Operators | Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) |
| Built | 2007 –present |
| In service | 16 |
| Planned | 31 |
| Cancelled | - |
| Active | 16 |
| Lost | - |
| Retired | - |
| Preserved | - |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | LNG carrier |
| Capacity | 165,000 m3 –216,000 m3 |
Q-Flex is a type of ship, specifically a membrane type liquefied natural gas carrier.
Q-Flex vessels are propelled by two slow speed diesel engines, which are claimed to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional steam turbines. [1] [2] Q-Flex carriers are equipped with an on-board re-liquefaction system to handle the boil-off gas, liquefy it and return the LNG to the cargo tanks. [3] The on-board re-liquefaction system reduces LNG losses, which produces economic and environmental benefits. Overall, it is estimated that Q-Flex carriers have about 40% lower energy requirements and carbon emissions than conventional LNG carriers. [4]
The capacity of a Q-Flex vessel is between 165,000 m3 and 216,000 m3. [5] Until the entry into service of the Q-Max-type carrier, it was the world's largest LNG carrier type with a capacity of 1.5 times that of conventional LNG carriers. [6] [7]
The first Q-Flex LNG carrier was delivered by Hyundai Heavy Industries in late 2007. The installed re-liquefaction system is developed and delivered by Hamworthy and approved and certified by DNV. [3] Q-Flex LNG carriers are built also by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company and Samsung Heavy Industries. [8]
As of 2022 there are 31 named Q-Flex LNG carriers in service. [9] [10] [11] [12] All these vessels are owned by holding companies established by the Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) and different shipping companies such as Pronav, MOL, K-Line, Teekay and NYK and they are chartered to Qatar's LNG producers QatarEnergy LNG.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state (at standard conditions for temperature and pressure).
A floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore oil and gas industry for the production and processing of hydrocarbons, and for the storage of oil. An FPSO vessel is designed to receive hydrocarbons produced by itself or from nearby platforms or subsea template, process them, and store oil until it can be offloaded onto a tanker or, less frequently, transported through a pipeline. FPSOs are preferred in frontier offshore regions as they are easy to install, and do not require a local pipeline infrastructure to export oil. FPSOs can be a conversion of an oil tanker or can be a vessel built specially for the application. A vessel used only to store oil is referred to as a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel.
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QatarEnergy, formerly Qatar Petroleum (QP), is a state owned petroleum company of Qatar. The company operates all oil and gas activities in Qatar, including exploration, production, refining, transport, and storage. The President & CEO is Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs. The company's operations are directly linked with state planning agencies, regulatory authorities, and policy making bodies. Together, revenues from oil and natural gas amount to 60% of the country's GDP. As of 2018 it was the third largest oil company in the world by oil and gas reserves. In 2022, the company had total revenues of US$52bn, a net income of US42.4bn, and total assets of US$162bn. In 2021, QatarEnergy was the fifth largest gas company in the world.
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A gas carrier, gas tanker, LPG carrier, or LPG tanker is a ship designed to transport LPG, LNG, CNG, or liquefied chemical gases in bulk.
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