Tokyo Gas buys first spot LNG cargo from Norway

TOKYO, March 24 (Reuters) - Japan's biggest gas distributor, Tokyo Gas Co Ltd (9531.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), said on Monday it had bought its first spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from Norway.

The purchase by Tokyo Gas of about 60,000 tonnes of LNG from Norway's StatoilHydro ASA marks the first time a company in the Asia-Pacific region has bought LNG from Norway, the Japanese firm said.

Norway is the 13th country that Tokyo Gas has bought LNG from, the company added.

It took about a month for the LNG tanker Arctic Voyager to arrive in Japan, and Tokyo Gas said it finished unloading the cargo by Sunday. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Chris Gallagher)