GNL Mejillones will develop new business areas after closing open season
Gas distribution by truck or small boats are the options predicted to develop
“The expression of interest process taste success,” says Jean-Michel Cabanes, general manager of LNG Mejillones (LNG-M), relative to the open season for use of the terminal, that carried out the firm between November 2012 and May. In any case, says that this success, “is not total, because that would have been deciding to implement the expansion and sell all abilities, which is not the case,” he said.
Now, with the end of the process, “we have a huge ambition to serve as a gateway for LNG in the north of the country, but not limiting ourselves to a pipeline output.” Today the business of the firm, controlled by GDF Suez is regasification the GNL that a customer brings himself and deliver in pipeline. “Our ambition is to complement that with two offers” says the executive.
The first one is a truck freight yard, as it is doing GNL Quintero. “We have a truck loading project, as long as there is demand,” he explains. To this they would have to invest less than U.S. $ 10 million and would start once a customer is compromised, and take a year to complete.
Second, “something more original and very adapted to Chile,” he says, is a “virtual pipeline by sea”. According to what the general manager says, LNG will reach Mejillones in large ships, about 165,000 m3, then, “it would be discharged in the pond-even we could build a second pond, and then recharge boats to 30,000 m3 10,000 m3 which would coastwise to distribute gas in the country, “he explains.
Ships would not be from GNL-M, Cabanes says. Also, do not require to invest. In any case, we may charge a fee for the unloading, storage and recharge, even from one boat to another.
With this, “one might think about having Mejillones as a GNL hub” expected Cabanes.
The open season
According to the executive, during the process came “eleven companies, global, European, American, Australian, Asia and energy giants. From around the world came to know our offer and understand that access to our floor is completely open and non-discriminatory “.
Finally, note Cabanes, from twenty slots-or boats-year eligible, in 2014 were available eight, nine in 2015 and only one in 2016. Without considering the possibility of expanding the terminal by 50%, which is in folder and depending on the demand that might come, says the CEO.
To assign contracts from 2016 onwards, the executive says the firm will provide further information for new contracts.
To assign the available spaces, GNL-M will do so at the “first Committed, first served”, ie first come, closes contracts, Cabanes said.
Expertise with mining
Over the past year, GNL-M was facing with a tense situation with minings called the G-4 (Codelco, BHP, Collahuasi and El Abra) for contract negotiations and terms of use of the terminal, arising even to the possibility of an expert. According to Cabanes, this process “ended. He did not need to go further (to name the expert). The survey was closed “.
“As the end we agreed modalities for resolving the discrepancies that might have not been required to go further,” he added.
Source: Diario Financiero
