controlled gas producer said Saturday it has agreed to send Japan more than 60 extra tanker shipments of liquefied natural gas to help power the Asian nation in the wake of its tsunami disaster. Qatargas Operating Company said Saturday the shipments represent about 4 million tons of the super-cooled fuel, or enough to provide electricity to five million Japanese homes. It didn't say how much it would charge for the gas, which will be shipped over the next 12 months. Qatargas CEO Khalid Bin Khalifa Al Thani said the first additional shipment left Qatar while he was on a visit to Japan last week. Japan, the world's largest importer of LNG, needs additional supplies of conventional fuel for its power plants because several of its 54 nuclear reactors were shut down after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Nuclear power typically accounts for about 30 percent of Japan's power supply. Japan currently has 24 reactors running. The country's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says operations at 14 other have been suspended, while 16 are undergoing maintenance or testing.
