Russian independent producer Novatek is planning to shut down the first train at its giant Yamal LNG plant in the Arctic.
The first LNG train would close for 19 days from August 1 to August 19, according to a Yamal LNG statement.
“The regular maintenance is carried out in accordance with the approved annual schedule and will not affect the planned LNG production volume for the year,” the statement said.
The Novatek-operated LNG export project has shipped more than 50 million tons of liquefied natural gas since it started production from the first train in 2017.
In 2020, the facility produced 18.8 million tons of LNG accounting for more than 5% of the global LNG market, Novatek previously said.
Novatek and its partners in Yamal LNG ship the fuel with a fleet of 15 Arc7 ice-class tankers with cargo capacity over 170 thousand cubic meters each, as well as by 11 conventional gas
carriers.
Following the start of the first train in the fourth quarter of 2017, Novatek and partners launched the second unit in July 2018 and the third in November the same year.
The facility also has a fourth train. The 900 thousand tons per annum unit started pilot LNG production in December last year adding to the three 5.5 mtpa units already in production at the plant.
Novatek has still not announced the start of full scale operations at this unit.
Besides Novatek that holds 50.1 percent in Yamal LNG, other shareholders include France’s TotalEnergies and China’s CNPC with a 20 percent stake, each, and the Silk Road Fund that owns a 9.9 percent share.
