Nakilat, the shipping arm of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, has assumed full ship management and operations of the Q-Flex LNG carrier Mesaimeer from Shell Trading and Shipping Company Ltd. (STASCo).

With a cargo carrying capacity of 216,312 cubic meters, Mesaimeer is the sixth wholly-owned LNG vessel that will come under the management of Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd. (NSQL).

The transition brings the total number of vessels managed by NSQL to 14, comprising of 10 LNG and 4 LPG carriers.

Chartered by Qatargas, the vessel was built in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries and delivered in March 2009.

The management of the vessel was transferred with effect from March 23 as part of the planned and phased transition agreed in October 2016 between NSQL and Shell.

Under the deal, the management of a total of 25 LNG vessels, including fourteen Q-Max and eleven Q-Flex LNG carriers, will be transitioned from Shell to NSQL.