BP strengthens LNG shipping capacity

Expansion of BP’s global LNG shipping fleet will support the group’s growing LNG portfolio and its broader shift to natural gas

HOUSTON - BP is taking delivery of six new, state-of-the-art liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers to support its expanding global LNG portfolio, and to respond to growing demand for lower-carbon energy sources around the world.

BP’s finance partners KMarin and ICBC Leasing are investing over $1 billion in the tankers, which will join existing tankers in BP Shipping’s fleet in 2018 and 2019. The vessels will help service a 20-year liquefaction contract with the Freeport LNG facility in Texas, as well as other international LNG projects in BP’s global portfolio.

“These vessels will significantly increase BP’s ability to safely transport LNG to anywhere in the world, directly supporting BP’s global natural gas strategy,” said BP Shipping CEO Susan Dio. “They also will be among the most fuel-efficient and technically advanced LNG tankers ever built.”

Equipped with next-generation engine technology, the new ships are designed to be about 25 percent more fuel efficient than their predecessors. They also will be fitted with a reliquefaction plant, meaning evaporated natural gas in the cargo tanks can be returned to the tanks as LNG, allowing the ships to deliver more LNG to the market.

BP has a long-term contract for 230 Trillion BTUs per year of LNG capacity in the Freeport LNG facility. The Freeport LNG liquefaction facility is under construction, and the first train is expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

BP also participates in LNG projects in Australia, UAE, Indonesia, Trinidad and Angola. This portfolio includes a mix of long-term, mid-term and short-term supply to enable BP to best meet the ever-changing needs of its global portfolio of customers.

“BP has built a diverse LNG portfolio spanning both established and emerging markets,” said Alan Haywood, CEO of BP’s global supply and trading business. “Freeport is the latest example of how BP continues to expand the reach of our LNG business and serve our customers with flexible solutions through leveraging our scale, connectivity and relationships - and another sign of our commitment to remaining at the forefront of this rapidly growing and important global business.”

The 2017 BP Energy Outlook forecasts that global LNG trade will grow seven times faster than pipeline gas trade, such that by 2035 it accounts for around half of all globally traded gas. The newly expanded BP Shipping fleet will deliver LNG volumes to a range of BP customers around the world.

About BP

BP is a global producer of oil and gas with operations in over 70 countries. Over the past 10 years BP has invested $90 billion in the U.S. - more than any other energy company. BP employs about 14,000 people across the U.S. and supports more than 130,000 additional jobs through all its business activities.

Further information

Contacts

BP Press Office, Houston, +1 281 366 4463, uspress@bp.com

BP press office, London, +44 (0)207 496 4076, bppress@bp.com

Notes to editors

• BP Shipping bring BP’s oil and gas cargoes to market while providing technical and maritime expertise to business activities around the globe. Its U.S. operations include onshore offices in Houston, Chicago, Anchorage and Ferndale, Washington.
• BP Shipping launched a fleet rejuvenation program in 2016, with 32 new vessels set for delivery over a three-year period. 

Cautionary statement

In order to utilize the ‘safe harbor’ provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the ‘PSLRA’), BP is providing the following cautionary statement. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning BP’s plans and expectations regarding the six-tanker expansion of BP Shipping’s fleet, including the performance of the new tankers and their potential contribution to BP’s global LNG business; plans and expectations that the Freeport LNG liquefaction facility will be operational by the end of 2018; expectations that the global LNG trade will grow seven times faster than the pipeline gas trade and account for half of all globally traded gas by 2035; and plans and expectations for the delivery of thirty-two new vessels to BP Shipping during the three-year period beginning in 2016. Actual results may differ from those expressed in such statements, depending on a variety of factors including changes in public expectations and other changes to business conditions; the timing, quantum and nature of divestments; the receipt of relevant third-party and/or regulatory approvals; future levels of industry product supply; demand and pricing; OPEC quota restrictions; PSA effects; operational problems; regulatory or legal actions; economic and financial conditions generally or in various countries and regions; political stability and economic growth in relevant areas of the world; changes in laws and governmental regulations; exchange rate fluctuations; development and use of new technology; the success or otherwise of partnering; the actions of competitors, trading partners and others; natural disasters and adverse weather conditions; wars and acts of terrorism, cyber-attacks or sabotage; and other factors discussed under “Principal risks and uncertainties” in the results announcement for the period ended 30 June 2017 and “Risk factors” in our Annual Report and Form 20-F 2016.