Japanese shipowner K Line is being linked to an order for a single LNG carrier newbuilding announced on Thursday by Samsung Heavy Industries as talk swirls about new long-term business netted for the vessel from Gail (India).
SHI said it had won an order priced at KRW 358bn ($259m) to build an LNG carrier.
The company only identified the contracting party as a shipper in Asia but did not name it.
The newbuilding is due for delivery in June 2027.
K Line is being named by shipping industry sources as the company behind the newbuilding.
In the past few weeks, brokers said K Line has emerged as the shipowner selected by LNG buyer Gail to provide a vessel for the company to take on a long-term charter.
TradeWinds reported in September that a Japanese owner had been selected for Gail’s long-term requirement for modern tonnage following a tender process.
Gail tendered for an LNG carrier to take on charter for a minimum of seven years with the option to extend the hire to the end of 2038. It has floated the option of taking up to a 26% equity stake in the ship.
This latest order for SHI, which has been focused on LNG carrier and floating LNG production units, nudges up the shipbuilder’s order tally for 2024 to $5.6bn. This constitutes 58% of the yard’s $9.7bn order target for the full year.
The company said it is on track to achieve the annual target and is in talks on further LNG carrier and container ship newbuildings.
SHI is sitting on an order backlog of $31.9bn.
