Nakilat Shipping to take over management of its LNG fleet from Shell in phased manner

Nakilat Shipping Qatar (NSQL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nakilat, will take over the management of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) fleet in a phased manner from Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (Shell) as part of consolidating the operations of its fully-owned vessels.
In this regard, NSQL entered into an agreement with Shell to begin the planned phased transition of the management of Nakilat’s LNG fleet from Shell to NSQL.
The agreement “marks a milestone in Nakilat’s history as we embark on consolidating a fully-fledged ship operation for our wholly-owned vessels. It is a pivotal strategic milestone towards Nakilat’s ambition of establishing an integrated maritime industry in Qatar,” Nakilat managing director Abdullah Fadhalah al-Sulaiti said.
Shell has provided a range of shipping services to Nakilat’s LNG (liquefied natural gas) fleet since it was established in 2006. These included the ship management of 14 Q-Max and 11 Q-Flex LNG carriers and the sharing of Shell’s shipping and maritime expertise.
The vessels will be transitioned in three phases starting this year and shall be managed by Nakilat’s in-house ship management arm, NSQL, which currently manages four large liquefied petroleum gas carriers and four Q-Flex LNG carriers.
Nakilat has carried out extensive studies and comprehensive preparations and planning to ensure the successful management of these essential assets to Qatar’s gas supply chain from Qatar to the world, which plays a major role in the national economic growth in alignment with the National Vision 2030.
“We are proud to be a partner with Nakilat and to continue to support Qatar’s vision of building a world-class shipping business. This world-leading fleet includes some of the largest and most technically advanced vessels of their type and their cargo helps ensure energy security for millions of people around the world,” according to Dr Grahaeme Henderson, Vice President of Shell Shipping and Maritime.