EMPNG celebrates the arrival of the Kumul and the 200th cargo

Port Moresby – The Kumul, the second PNG LNG Project custom-built ship safely completed loading its first LNG cargo at the PNG LNG marine facilities on 1 June 2016.  In a week of milestones, the 200th PNG LNG cargo is also due to be loaded onto the Spirit of Hela this weekend.  

Kumul recently named in a ceremony in China, is a 172,000 cubic metre, 290-metre-long LNG carrier, entering service on a long-term charter with ExxonMobil PNG, operator of the PNG LNG Project, providing LNG transportation to major customers in Asia.

“We could not be more excited about the arrival of the Kumul the second of the custom-built ships to load its first cargo which will be delivered to Sinopec. We are also delighted that the 200th cargo for PNG LNG will be loaded onto the Spirit of Hela a few days later.

“These two milestones further underpin our already strong reputation for safely and reliably delivering LNG to our customers,” said Andrew Barry, ExxonMobil PNG managing director.

The Kumul is owned by Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd (MOL) and East China LNG Shipping Investment Co Ltd.  MOL will operate the ship on behalf of the PNG LNG venture and deliver cargos under the direction of ExxonMobil PNG Limited.

In 2011, Exxon Mobil Corporation and MOL selected Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, to build two LNG carriers in China for the PNG LNG Project. The first of the ships to be built the Papua commenced service in February 2015. The Kumul and its sister vessel the Papua are the largest liquefied natural gas carriers ever to be built in China.