Indonesian shipowner Silo Maritime is being named as the shipowner that has agreed to buy a steam turbine LNG carrier from GasLog Partners.

In its second-quarter results statement, GasLog Partners said it has sold, on subjects, to a third party the 145,000-cbm Methane Shirley Elisabeth (built 2007) for approximately $54m.

The US-listed company said the deal is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022 on the redelivery of the ship from its charterer, which it lists in presentations as Chinese trader Jovo.

Silo Maritime, which says its shipping assets are linked to oil and gas exploration and production, does not currently list any LNG carriers in its mixed fleet. But the company does control two VLGCs and a smaller LPG carrier.

TradeWinds has asked the company for confirmation and comment on the planned LNG carrier purchase.

Brokers initially said Soechi Lines was the intended buyer of the vessel. The company is thought to have shown interest in the GasLog Partners ship.

But on Wednesday Soechi said it was not the buyer of the vessel.

The Indonesian owner, which has amassed a large tanker fleet through secondhand purchases and works closely with domestic energy giant Pertamina, appears to be quietly growing an LNG carrier fleet.

Brokers said Soechi Lines bought the 136,942-cbm steam turbine LNG carrier Pacific Eurus (built 2006) in 2021.

Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network (SIN)’s database lists the vessel in Soechi’s fleet under the new name of Prima Carrier.

Kpler data shows the vessel as trading cargoes in Indonesian waters from the country’s BP-controlled liquefaction plant Tangguh LNG.

The Japanese-built, Moss-type vessel was originally built for Tokyo Electric Power Co in partnership with NYK Line and Mitsui & Co but later migrated over to the shipping assets that were largely under the control of trading giant JERA.

SIN also records Vektor Maritim, a group company of Soechi, as controlling a second LNG steamship, the 138,209-cbm membrane-type Prima Concord (ex-Methane Kari Elin, built 2004).

This vessel was originally ordered by BG Group and was a forerunner to the Methane Shirley Elisabeth in the company’s fleet.

The Methane Kari Elin made history in LNG shipping as it was the first vessel on which debonding issues were uncovered on the ship’s Mark III membrane-type cargo containment system, causing leaks and necessitating several repairs throughout its early working life.

GasLog, which currently controls a fleet of 15 LNG carriers including five steamships, also said in its results call that it is pursuing an agreement for the sale and leaseback of another steam vessel within the next 12 months. But the company did not name the LNG carrier to which it was referring.

The focus on LNG steamships is intensifying with the advent of the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulations coming into force in January 2023. These are expected to limit the trading ability of older less-efficient vessels and in time force them out of the market.