Japex commissions its first major LNG import terminal
Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. (JAPEX) announced that Soma LNG Terminal located at the No.4 wharf of Soma Port, Shinchi town, Fukushima prefecture commenced its operation today, as one of the important base in our domestic natural gas supply network.
Over 60 years since its establishment, JAPEX has been conducting exploration and production of natural gas domestically and has been supplying natural gas and LNG (liquefied natural gas) to our clients such as local gas distribution companies, business consumers, and fuel for power generation via our domestic natural gas supply network which have been constructed in combination with our gas pipeline network including Niigata-Sendai Gas Pipeline (between Seiro town, Kita-Kambara county, Niigata prefecture to Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture, hereinafter "Niigata-Sendai line") as the main line, and satellite supply to transport liquid state of LNG by tank trucks and domestic vessels in regions not served by gas pipeline networks.
Aiming to enhance our supply capacity for responding with increase in domestic demands of natural gas in recent years and improve stability with our gas pipeline network between Japan Sea side to Pacific Ocean side, we made the final investment decision on the construction of Soma LNG Terminal and a pipeline connecting the terminal and Niigata-Sendai line in November, 2013. After the start of construction on the terminal in November 2014 and its mechanical completion on the end of November 2017, we have proceeded its commissioning and required procedures for operational commencement since December 2017. In this time, since we have completed procedures based on the laws and regulations as well as readying for commencement in view of its organization and operation skill trainings, we commenced operation of the terminal today.
Soma LNG Terminal is a the first large-scale LNG terminal in Fukushima prefecture, which is composed of a ground-type LNG storage tank with a capacity of 230,000 kiloliters which is one of the largest in Japan, two berths for large ocean-going ship of receiving and domestic vessel of receiving and shipping, LNG vaporization equipment, and LNG shipping facility. This terminal will receive LNG from overseas and will supply LNG vaporized gas to Niigata-Sendai line via Soma-Iwanuma Gas Pipeline (from Shinchi town, Soma county, Fukushima prefecture to Iwanuma city, Miyagi prefecture) which commenced its operation in November 2017 in advance of the terminal, and will be a base of our LNG satellite supply system for mainly wider Tohoku region.
