Jeppe Jensen-controlled Celsius Shipping is in close talks with BP about charters on four of its recently contracted LNG carrier newbuildings.
Those following the business said the two companies have been in discussions on four of the six 180,000-cbm LNG ships Celsius has ordered at Samsung Heavy Industries.
They indicated that Celsius has tied up or is close to committing the four 2024-delivering ships to the energy major, with some brokers noting the ships as fixed.
One broker suggested a charter rate in the low-to-mid $70,000 per day range on the vessels, adding that BP does not usually favour a term of more than a few years.
Old hand
Celsius chairman Jeppe Jensen — a veteran on LNG from his time first at AP Moller-Maersk and later GasLog — did not reply to questions on talk of fresh business for the company’s newbuildings.
He has yet to confirm the widely-reported additional six vessels ordered by the company, but previously told this publication that Celsius planned to grow its LNG fleet.
BP does not normally give details of its commercial chartering arrangements.
Announcing its first carbon offset LNG shipment in the Asia-Pacific region on Monday, BP executive vice president for trading and shipping Carol Howle said: “Natural gas has a key role to play in getting the world to net zero. This new offer further demonstrates our determination to remain one of the world’s leading and most innovative LNG suppliers.”
Growing fleet
Expanding shipowner Celsius appears to have a taste for LNG.
Celsius has been named by brokers and shipbuilding sources as the company behind three separate orders for LNG carrier newbuildings fitted with ME-GA propulsion systems, which were reported by SHI.
In early July, Celsius was linked to three 180,000-cbm LNG carrier newbuildings priced at about $193m each at the yard.
On 27 July, the shipbuilder said it had won an order for one LNG carrier priced at $195.1m for delivery by April 2024.
It is these four ships that are understood to have been at the centre of the BP talks.
In August, Celsius was also named as the company behind and additional pair of the LNG carriers at SHI priced at about $196m each and scheduled for delivery by September 2024.
Brokers said the ships were likely options attached to July’s three-ship order.
Celsius currently has four trading LNG vessels. The first is fixed to trader Gunvor with the remaining trio taken by US producer Cheniere Energy.
