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ExxonMobil holds 20-year access to China's Guangdong LNG Terminal

Two industry sources said on Thursday that China's Guangdong Energy Group will start commercial operations of a new terminal for receiving LNG in south China, which U.S. giant ExxonMobil agreed to use as part of a 20-year contract.

The terminal, which costs $1 billion and is located in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, can handle up to 4 million tons of LNG per year. The terminal received its first cargo last month from the United Arab Emirates in a test operation, according to the sources.

ExxonMobil signed a 20-year agreement with Guangdong Energy in December last year to use the terminal for the handling of 1.8 million tonnes of LNG each year. The company is a gas importer and utility backed by the province government.

Sources declined to identify themselves as they were not authorized to speak with media.

A representative of ExxonMobil China confirmed that the agreement regarding terminal access was not announced by the company.

Two sources confirmed that the agreement did not include a stake in Exxon.

ExxonMobil is reported to have been in talks with Guangdong Province about investing in LNG.

Sources added that Exxon would use the terminal to partially supply gas to the multi-billion dollar chemical complex owned by the company in Huizhou, which is currently in a construction stage and expected to begin operation in 2025.

Guangdong Energy started building the terminal in mid-2021. The terminal includes three storage tanks of 200,000 cubic metres and one berth that can receive 266,000 cubic metre LNG tankers.

According to Chinese consultancy Sublime China Information, Guangdong is China's biggest gas consumer. It has built LNG receiving stations with a combined annual capacity of 32,6 million tons. Reporting by Chen Aizhu, editing by Jason Neely

(source: Reuters)