Statoil has marked its 500th delivery of cargo from its Snovhit offshore development in the Barents Sea.
The Arctic Voyager will carry a cargo of LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) from Melkoya to Aliaga in Turkey.
Since start-up in 2007, more than NOK 80billion worth of LNG has been dispatched from the island in Norway.
Knut Gjertsen, vice president for operations on Snøhvit, said: “This is a special day for the Snøhvit organisation and for Statoil. A lot of hard work has gone into all these 500 cargoes.
“Snøhvit has also been a challenge. We’ve worked long and systematically on the plant, and with the organisation, in order to stabilise operations.
“We are now beginning to see the results. During the past 15 months we’ve delivered our best results for safe and regular production.
“We work hard and systematically every single day to continue delivering good results.”
Statoil sells LNG to Europe, Asia and North and South America, with the gas being transported in liquid form in special vessels which sail across the Atlantic and through the Suez Canal.
LNG currently accounts for 10% of the global gas market.