IGU'S LNG COMMITTEE MEETS IN DOHA

Doha - Qatar, 30 January 2010: A panel of the International Gas Union (IGU) LNG Committee, entrusted with drafting an LNG programme for the 25th World Gas Conference which will be held in Malaysia in 2012, has held its kick-off meeting in Doha over the past two days.

Mr. Alaa Abu Jbara, Marketing Director - Qatargas, and head of the committee, chaired the meeting. Welcoming the committee members to Qatar, Abu Jbara said it’s a privilege to have assembled a distinguished group of professionals for the committee.  He urged them to work together to produce professional and practical documents which can be used throughout the LNG industry.

Ho Sook Wah, IGU Coordination Committee Chairman, also addressed the committee members and shed light on the IGU’s activities.  Founded in 1931, the IGU is a worldwide non-profit organisation registered in Vevey, Switzerland with the present Secretariat located in Oslo, Norway. The objective of IGU is to promote the technical and economic progress of the gas industry. The members of IGU are associations and entities of the gas industries in 71 countries. It cooperates with many global energy organisations. IGU's working organisation covers all domains of the gas industry from exploration and production of natural gas on or offshore, pipeline and piped distribution systems to customers' premises and combustion of the gas at the point of use.

The  committee, which consists of 65 committee members, is headed by Mr. Abujbara as Chairman, Mr. Dirk Van Sloothen form VOPAK as Vice Chairman and Abdullah Al-Hussaini as Secretary. 

The three study groups, formed by the committee, have started their work on different topics. The first study group, which is undertaking a study entitled “Enhance Terminal Capacity”   will gather receiving terminal data regarding ship compatibility with the objective of providing recommendations for further enhancing compatibility.
The second group, whose study will focus on “Penetrating new markets for LNG,” will review and study new markets entrants to identify market entry factors with the objective of applying new market entry lessons learned to new potential markets.
The third group, which will look into the topic “Enhance efficiency in the LNG value chain”, will review alternative LNG project solutions to satisfy unique locations, environmental and public requirements as well as further efficiency enhancements to existing operating facilities   with the objective of applying new market entry lessons-learned to new potential markets.

During the meetings, the committee members took time off to visit Qatargas facilities in Ras Laffan.