<article><p class="lead">China's state-owned Sinopec received more LNG cargoes at its 6mn t/yr Tianjin LNG import terminal in northern China during the first six months of this year compared with a year earlier, despite disruptions from the Covid-19 outbreak in the country earlier this year.</p><p>Sinopec received 58 cargoes, or 3.78mn t of LNG, during January-June, up by 28pc from a year earlier. Around 4.25bn m³ of the LNG was regasified and distributed by pipeline, while around 768,000t was distributed by tanker trucks, it said. China received a total of 25.6mn t of LNG in January-May, up by 7.8pc from 23.74mn t a year earlier. China's customs department has yet to release import data for June.</p><p>The Tianjin terminal also received its 200th cargo today, more than two years after the arrival of its first LNG cargo in February 2018.</p><p>The completion of the first phase of expansion in November doubled Tianjin's receiving capacity to 6mn t/yr, allowing the firm to increase receipts this year. And the firm is accelerating the construction of a second phase of expansion, which is expected to lift import capacity to 10.8mn t/yr. Sinopec did not provide any timelines. The firm began construction on the second phase of expansion in April and said at the time that it <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2095193">expects completion in 2023</a>, more than a year later than originally planned. </p><p>Tianjin is a key source of supply to northern China through Sinopec's gas pipeline network. The second expansion phase will include the addition of five 220,000m³ storage tanks at the terminal and facilities that will lift gas transmission capacity to 13.6bn m³. </p><p>State-owned gas distributor Beijing Gas is developing the Tianjin Nangang LNG receiving terminal, which will be the port city's third LNG terminal. The facility will have a peak capacity of 6.18mn t/yr and Beijing Gas aims to bring the facility on line at the end of 2022. State-owned CNOOC also operates the 2.2mn t/yr floating storage and regasification unit at Tianjin.</p><p class="bylines">By Camille Klass</p></article>
