Nakilat

Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited, commonly known as Nakilat (, ناقلات) is a Qatari shipping and maritime company. Its LNG shipping fleet is one of the largest in the world, comprising 72 vessels. The company also jointly owns one Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) and 2 very large LPG carriers (VLGCs). Through its in-house ship management, Nakilat manages and operates the two LPG carriers and 25 LNG carriers.

Via its subsidiary and joint venture – Qatar Shipyard Technology Solution and Qatar Fabrication Company (QFAB) – Nakilat operates the ship repair and offshore construction facilities at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in the State of Qatar's Port of Ras Laffan.

Nakilat also provides shipping agency services through Nakilat Agency Company (NAC) for the Ports of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed and warehousing for vessels in Qatari waters via Nakilat's Vessel Support Unit (VSU). Joint venture Nakilat- SvitzerWijsmuller (NSW) offers marine support services at the Port of Ras Laffan and at the State of Qatar's offshore activity around Halul Island.

Fleet

Nakilat is the third largest owner of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers in the world, with a fleet comprising 69 LNG carriers.

Its LNG carriers represent a total investment of approximately US$11 billion and have a combined carrying capacity of over 9 million cubic meters or about 12% of the world capacity. The vast majority of these LNG carriers are dedicated to meeting the transportation requirements of Qatar's massive LNG industry.

Most of Nakilat's vessels are employed through long-term time charter agreements with local gas producer Qatargas, while the remainder of the fleet is utilized in international shipping markets. Its jointly owned LNG carriers are operated by the vessel's co-owners.

Recent achievements

LNG fleet expansion

In May 2024, Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited (Nakilat) announced the signing of a long-term agreement to charter and operate nine QC-Max class LNG vessels, as part of QatarEnergy’s program to expand its fleet of LNG carriers. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President and CEO of QatarEnergy, and Mr. Abdullah bin Fadhalah Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Nakilat during a special signing ceremony at QatarEnergy’s headquarters. These nine (QC-Max) vessels, each with a capacity of 271,000 cubic meters, will be 100% owned and operated by Nakilat and chartered to affiliates of QatarEnergy. The vessels will be built in China at Hudong-Zhonghua shipyards, reflecting top-notch craftsmanship and technology. They are part of QatarEnergy’s historic program to support its LNG production expansion capacity from the North Field.

In March 2024, Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited (Nakilat) announced that it signed with QatarEnergy the long-term charter party agreements for 25 Conventional LNG Vessels as part of QatarEnergy’s historic LNG fleet expansion program. QatarEnergy selected Nakilat to be the owner and operator of these vessels according to long-term charter contracts. The LNG carriers, each with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, will be owned 100% by Nakilat and chartered to affiliates of QatarEnergy.

In January 2024, Nakilat, a global leader in LNG shipping and maritime transportation, announced a strategic shipping expansion through a significant vessel acquisition. Nakilat has placed orders with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) of South Korea for the construction of six gas vessels (two cutting-edge LNG carriers with a cargo capacity of 174,000 cubic meters each and four modern Very Large LPG/ Ammonia Gas carriers, with a substantial cargo capacity of 88,000 cubic meters.) These modern vessels are set to be delivered between 2026 and 2027.

The new LNG carriers and LPG carriers will embody the latest technologies, showcasing advanced environmentally friendly and efficient propulsion systems through fuel-saving devices, reinforcing Nakilat’s commitment to sustainable and eco-conscious shipping solutions.

LNG ship management

In June 2012, full responsibility for the management and operations of Nakilat's four LPG carriers was transferred from Shell to Nakilat Shipping Qatar Limited (NSQL).[4] In 2014 NSQL assumed ship management responsibility for the four Nakilat / OSG Q-Flex LNG vessels in a challenging timeframe, commencing in February and completing in July of the same year, bringing the number of gas vessels fully managed by NSQL to eight.[5] As part of the company's long-term strategic vision for growth, Nakilat then undertook one of the largest vessel management transitions with Shell, involving the transfer of management of 10 LNG carriers from Shell to NSQL. The transition was completed within a year in August 2017. In March 2019, Nakilat signed an agreement with Maran Ventures to establish a new joint venture and expand its fleet with an additional four LNG carriers that will be managed by NSQL once delivered. With the four newbuild LNG carriers added to its fleet, NSQL currently manages 18 LNG carriers and four LPG carriers.

Expansion into FSRU market

In June 2018, Nakilat signed a landmark agreement with Excelerate Energy USA to establish a joint-venture company and acquire a 55% interest in a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU), the first such vessel to join the Nakilat fleet. This was the first FSRU co-owned by a Qatari company, paving the way for Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) to expand its outreach to developing and emerging markets.

A FSRU act as a hub for LNG deliveries. Located in Port Qasim in Pakistan, the FSRU unit 'Exquisite' has a capacity of 150,900 cubic meters and a peak regasification rate of 745 million cubic feet per day.

JV established for Offshore and Onshore fabrication

Nakilat signed an agreement with McDermott to form a joint-venture (JV) company, Qatar Fabrication Company (QFAB), providing offshore and onshore fabrication services in Qatar in February 2019. This is aimed at increasing productivity levels at Nakilat's Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard and developing local construction capabilities to support the increasing demand for construction of offshore and onshore structures in Qatar. This new JV comes at a strategic time, with Qatar's ambition to localize its energy sector's supply chain and increase its liquefied natural gas production from 77 to 110 million tonnes per annum in the coming years.

The JV company will be operated from Nakilat's shipyard in Ras Laffan Industrial City, comprising extensive fabrication areas and facilities such as a 270-metre construction hall and a 180-metre assembly workshop featuring four bays.

type	Public
native name	شركة قطر لنقل الغاز المحدودة
native name lang	ar
foundation	2004
location city	Doha
location country	Qatar
key people	Abdulaziz Jassim Al-Muftah (Chairman) Abdullah Al-Sulaiti (Chief Executive Officer) Hani Abuaker (Chief Finance Officer)
industry	Shipping
services	LNG transportation, Ship repair, Yacht repair and refits, Towage, Shipping Agency services
revenue	QAR 4.53 billion‡R1R‡
assets	QAR 34.36 billion
homepage	Nakilat.com

Fleet

Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard

Marine services

Shareholders

Recent achievements

LNG fleet expansion

LNG ship management

Expansion into FSRU market

JV established for Offshore and Onshore fabrication

External links

References