Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Q3 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

So, we can also use that one. So we’re not 100% dependent on buying another ship. We would like to buy one with somewhat higher storage capacity, but it’s not the requirement.

Frank Galanti: And then, I want to switch gears a little bit over under the Hilli, sort of obviously given extremely elevated global LNG prices and sort of increased European demand. Can you start talking about the possibility of increasing production on the Hilli? Is there sort of — is there feed gas in the region that could be easily tapped? And is there sort of any updates you can give around the increasing Hilli production before the end of the current contract?

Karl Fredrik Staubo: Sure. So Perenco took up the 0.2, so we’re now producing 1.4. The two constraints in terms of increasing capacity is the size of the existing gas reserve, and the second is the gas flow from the wells. But I think it would be in everybody’s interest to increase production. It would benefit us, it would benefit Perenco. And the offtaker, which used to be Gazprom has now been nationalized by Germany and changed name to SEFE. SEFE stands for Securing Energy for Europe. So, all else equal, Europe wants more energy, not less energy. So, it could be a triple win, where SEFE gets more volume, Perenco and we increase production. But it’s really down to the upstream part of it, which is under Perenco’s control. And for now, it’s standing at 1.4 million tons.

And I think it’s fair to say that we’re all trying to encourage increased production and see what’s possible. I don’t think it’s right of us to give any guidance on whether or not we think that can happen because it is a bit too early to say, but it’s certainly a potential upside.

Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Craig Shere from Tuohy Brothers.

Craig Shere: So, with the Mark II, you’re now preparing necessarily be targeted to one of the prospective super major independent E&P FLNG customers you’re negotiating with, or in a really best case scenario, is there a way you could envision perhaps three FIDs over the next 18 months?

Karl Fredrik Staubo: Let’s do one at a time. But for sure, like our business is to do FLNG and FLNG growth. We like the development, both of prospective clients and projects, and we are ramping up activities as we have shown, both from ordering long lead, but equally important to engage a significant engineering team. And so, we would certainly not rule out that there could be more than one. I think let’s do one at a time, because these are large projects. So I think let’s focus on one at a time. But yes, we’re here to move on this opportunity. We have a balance sheet to support it. We have an organization to support it. And we have focus across the company.

Craig Shere: So, when you rightly point out these are large projects, and you don’t want to get too far over your skis, you also noted that the negotiations included both, integrated and tolling arrangements, the latter looking a little more like your BP Gimi, I presume. So, I guess, my question is, given your successful execution and construction of these things, shipyard interest and potential for another highly rated investment grade decades long toll, how do you think about your capital funding options, if you were to get a long-term attractive toll? I mean, could that lift a lot of the investment considerations off your shoulders, given the ability to lever that far better than your original Gimi contract?