Iran could ship its first export-bound cargo of LNG at the end of 2018, BMI Research said , after a JV between Iran’s Kharg Gas Refining Co. and Helma Vantage began talks with Belgian ship owner Exmar to charter its floating LNG vessel Caribbean FLNG for the short term. The JV has already sealed a deal with the National Iranian Oil Company to deploy the vessel, which has a capacity of 500,000 tons of LNG. The JV will also be in charge of storing and transferring the future LNG cargoes. The project is worth US$600 million, and BMI Research says that its volume will not be all too significant, but it would achieve a tactical purpose, allowing Iran to deepen its relationship with its partners in Europe and Asia, building the foundation of what could become a profitable business in a future where LNG will only continue to gain […]