Nakilat has assumed the technical ship management and operations of the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) 'Exquisite' from Excelerate Technical Management (ETM) with effect from December 17, 2020.

The FSRU is jointly owned by Nakilat and Excelerate Energy through a joint venture established in 2018. This is the first FSRU to be managed in-house by Nakilat Shipping Qatar (NSQL), bringing NSQL’s managed fleet to 27 vessels, comprising 22 liquefied natural gas (LNG), four liquefied petroleum gas carriers and one FSRU.

The FSRU Exquisite has a cargo carrying capacity of 150,900 cubic metres and a peak regasification rate of 690mn cubic feet per day. To date, the vessel has received more than 330 cargoes of LNG or about 21 MMt (million metric tons) since it started operations in 2015.

The FSRU built in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering was delivered in 2009, and has been in service ever since.

"Nakilat has been meticulously preparing to take on greater ship management responsibilities over the past years, building capacity and strengthening in-house capabilities in order to grow sustainably and steer our vision forward to become a global leader and provider of choice for energy transportation and maritime services,” said Nakilat chief executive Abdullah al-Sulaiti.

The safe completion of the second phase fleet management transition involving seven LNG carriers, the delivery of a MEGI LNG new-build, as well as the FSRU Exquisite transition to NSQL-management within less than a year — "bears testament to our commitment in maintaining our leadership in energy transportation", he said.