THE FIRST  of what is predicted to be a stream of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers passed through the Panama Canal on Monday  July 25.

The Shell company’s  Maran Gas Apollonia, entered the locks at Agua Clara at 7:50 a.m. and the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported that everything was normal.

The ACP anticipates that LNG tankers will be one of the prime users of the expanded Canal, which were unable to use the older locks due to their size.

The Maran Gas Apollonia is 289 meters long and 45 meters wide. It transports a total of 166,000 cubic meters of liquified natural gas. . There a large demand for this product in Asia.