Petronas has fixed its shipowners it will work with for the next chapter of its LNG carrier expansion plans.
The Malaysian energy giant has contracted two Korean owners and a Greek firm for a total of nine gas ships, all of which will be built in South Korea.
Broking reports list H-Line Shipping as ordering three 180,000 cu m ships at Samsung Heavy Industries for delivery in 2025. Fellow Korean owner SK Shipping has split its four 174,000 cu m newbuilds for Petronas between Hyundai Samho and Hyundai Heavy, all of which will be delivered in 2025. Lastly, George Economou’s TMS Cardiff Gas has got 2026 delivery slots for a pair of 174,000 cu m ships to be built by Samsung Heavy Industries.
The latest orders take the overall LNG orderbook-to-fleet ratio in dwt terms to 35.1%, the highest of any shipping sector, according to data from Clarksons.
