LNG Planning & Scheduling

LNG shipping information as it relates to managing LNG ship demurrage and excess berth claims requires a high degree of negotiation to avoid paying unnecessary fees or collecting claims against the customer. The shipping coordination business process describes the automation requirements necessary to support this activity.

The shipping coordination system must be able to:

Collect and analyze vessel unloading records

Calculate demurrage and excess boil-off fees

Determine excess berth time

Record extension events that affect shipping delays

This business process provides the detailed processes required to manage the information provided to the Customer Services. Negotiated demurrage claims with the Customer are sent to Finance for netting and settlement. Excess Berth Time is calculated and sent to Contracts and Billing for invoicing.

Terminal scheduling begins with the first ship notice, Cargo Information Notice, given upon departure of the LNG carrier from the load port or as soon as it known that the vessel is coming to Gate Terminal (in the case of a cargo purchase at sea or a redirected vessel) and continues through to the acceptance of the Notice of Readiness, the NOR, when the vessel is ready to come to berth at the terminal. Each of the business processes described here are those needed to:

track vessels coming to the Gate terminal,

create and update the vessel arrival queue, and

Throughout this process there is a continuous evaluation of the services availability, cargo quantity, quality, and estimated arrival time to ensure that when the cargo actually arrives it can be received at the terminal (i.e. fits within the inventory entitlements of the Capacity Users) and the NOR can be accepted.

The scheduling of berthing and unloading activities is a key process - made by the LNG terminal Operator - that affects all parties involved in the LNG chain (LNG terminal, transmission system grid owner, Terminal Users and producers): for this reason the LNG Terminal Operator should develop a transparent and non discriminatory scheduling procedure.

The aim of the scheduling procedure is to optimize the use of the LNG terminal, taking into account technical and operational constraints of that terminal. In order to guarantee such a result through a non discriminatory access, the scheduling procedure must establish the methodology to program slots for unloading LNG ships and send-out. Scheduling consists of:

LNG Unloading Scheduling

Unloading Scheduling begins with publishing the annual works program after which annual Cargo nominations are received from the Capacity Users to unload LNG at the terminal as of the first of the coming gas year and looking out 15 months ahead. It includes all scheduling activities up to departure of the LNG carrier from the load port.

LNG Terminal scheduling

Terminal scheduling begins the moment the terminal receives the first ship notice, Cargo Information Notice, given upon departure of the LNG carrier from the load port and continues through to the acceptance of the Notice of Readiness, the NOR, when the vessel is ready to come to berth at the terminal.