HAMILTON, BERMUDA--(Marketwire - Jul 6, 2012) - Golar LNG Limited ("Golar" or "the Company")
is pleased to announce it has been
awarded the Gas Atacama Mejillones Seaport's FSRU Project ("Gas Atacama"). The
initial term of the contract, in Gas Atacama's option, is for 15 or 20 years
and
is expected to generate an average annual EBITDA of approximately US$48
million
for the 15 year charter or US$47 million for the 20 year charter. Gas Atacama
has three, five-year contract extension options, representing a potential 15
additional years of commitments.
The FSRU will be moored approximately 1.6 km offshore and in approximately 50
metres water depth in the Bay of Mejillones. The newbuild FSRU will be capable
of storing 170,000 m(3 )of LNG and delivering approximately 180 MMcfd per day
of regasified LNG and will be delivered to the project in the fourth quarter
of
2015. The regasified LNG will be delivered via Gas Atacama's subsea pipeline
and is intended primarily to supply the on-shore 780MW Central Térmica
Atacama
thermal power plant. Regasified LNG could additionally be used to the meet the
demands of some of GasAtacama's mining customers, as well as other power
generators. Parties have agreed to the possibility for further expansion of
the FSRU regasification capacity of up 360 MMcfd per day.
Final detailed contracts were executed in a signing ceremony by Gas Atacama's
CEO and Golar's CEO on 5 July 2012 in Santiago, Chile, however full commitment
by the parties to the transaction is subject to certain contractual conditions
related to Gas Atacama achieving a threshold of new power sales agreements
prior
to 31 December 2012. In line with its agreements with Golar LNG Partners L.P.
("the Partnership") Golar is obliged to offer all vessels contracted for more
than 5 years for sale to the Partnership.
Gas Atacama is a Chilean energy company which owns a natural gas pipeline and
power station. Its current shareholders include ENDESA S.A. (Chile, 50%),
which
is the largest electrical energy generating company in Latin America, a
subsidiary of the Spanish Endesa Group and controlled by ENEL of Italy and the
Southern Cross Group (50%), which is a private investment group with interests
in Chile and other Latin American countries.
Golar LNG Limited
July 5, 2012
Hamilton, Bermuda.
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section
5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
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originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Golar LNG via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1624765]