The History of GIIGNL By Jean-Yves Robin
With this issue’s spotlight on LNG, Jean-Yves
and handling LNG in the volumes required
Robin looks back at the formation and history
to justify the commercial viability of the project
of the International Group of Liquefied Natural
and to satisfy the needs of their customers.
Gas Importers (GIIGNL) whose membership is
All these activities needed to be developed
composed of nearly all companies in the world
and implemented in the context of their
active in the import and regasification
respective national energy policies and
terminalling of LNG.
regulatory frameworks.
In the late 1960s, Japan had received its first
x The press release for the GIIGNL inaugural meeting in December 1971, in French and Japanese.
A few companies, including Gaz de France,
shipments and embarked down a path that
took the initiative to try to bring together, from
would soon establish the country as the world’s
across the globe, the top executives of those
number one LNG importer while, in the Atlantic
gas companies involved in LNG imports and
basin, the US made preparations to receive
facing common challenges. The idea of creating
Algerian volumes, and Italy and Spain pushed
an industry association of LNG importing
ahead with plans to join France and the UK as
companies received very favourable feedback
European LNG importers.
from the interests concerned.
The technologies needed to create a safe and effective LNG supply chain were novel and
Thus were laid the foundations of a new association consisting of 19 founding members.
complex for the time. The
The International Group of Liquefied Natural
industry was opening up
Gas Importers (GIIGNL) began in December
new realms of engineering
1971, just as the nascent LNG industry was
as it introduced natural
taking its first tentative steps.
gas liquefaction, LNG
The association had, at least in its early
storage and LNG
stages, the character of a club without a rigid
regasification on a large
legal structure and statutory framework. The
scale, as well as LNG
members exchanged information and dev
carrier containment
eloped studies covering the scientific, technical
systems and concepts
and economic aspects of issues such as pur
such as cold recovery.
chasing, processing, transportation, storage, handling, regasification and the various uses
A club for top executives with
142 T h e H i s t o r y o f G I I G N L
of natural gas. GIIGNL’s work was undertaken with the aims
common challenges
of promoting the development of the industry
At that time, LNG
and pursuing objectives of common interest,
importers faced
including the development of safety and industry
formidable technical
best practice guidelines. Delegates from the US
and economic
member companies in particular, anxious not
challenges when
to breach any anti-trust laws, appreciated the
purchasing, shipping
association’s set-up and working methods.
