Petronet signs 1.25 MMT LNG contract with RasGas

New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Petronet LNG Ltd (PLL), country's largest liquefied natural gas importer, today inked LNG sales and purchase agreement with Qatar's RasGas (Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas) to supply 1.25 million metric tonnes (MMT) of LNG to PLL's Dahej terminal in Doha.

The delivery of LNG will commence from this month to the country's biggest gas-fired power plant at Dabhol in Gujarat.

The nameplate capacity of Dahej terminal was recently increased to 6.5 MMTPA (130 per cent), through de-bottlenecking of critical equipments.

This enhanced capacity will, however, merge into the expanded capacity of Dahej terminal to 10 MMTPA, which would be commissioned between July 2008 and January 2009, a statement said.

The additional 2.5 MMTPA under the existing long-term SPA with RasGas is expected to commence also from 2009.

Petronet Managing Director Prosad Dasgupta said this capacity, which is further expandable by an additional vaporiser module of 2.5 MMTPA, will be commissioned by the end of 2010.

This would require construction of a 2nd Jetty, to be also commissioned by the end of 2010.

PLL has already signed a MoU with Gujarat Maritime Board for concession agreement and other approvals for the 2nd Jetty - EPC for which would be awarded by June 2008.

UNI