Russia’s Novatek has reserved more berths than expected for a series of ice-class LNG carriers it needs for the company's Arctic LNG 2 project exports.
It has divided the slots between two South Korean shipyards.
Those following the business said Novatek has agreed to reserve four LNG carrier berths for ice class 1A or Arc4 vessels at Samsung Heavy Industries, in addition to options on two more berths.
Novatek has also pencilled in two berths at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, as well as a pair of optional slots.
The number of vessels is higher than the four newbuildings and options for two more that Novatek originally sought in a tender.
Delivery dates on the newbuilding positions start from 2023.
Shipowners
TradeWinds has been told that shipowners have been selected to contract the vessels following a tender process that launched earlier this year. But their names have yet to be officially revealed.
One source indicated that Russian owner Sovcomflot is working in partnership with Japan’s NYK Line to take on the SHI newbuildings.
Tokyo-based Mitsui OSK Lines has been linked to the DSME berths.
Shipbuilding and time-charter contracts are expected to be signed in September.
None of the three shipowners being linked to the berths on these vessels would come as a surprise for his business.
Sovcomflot — Russia’s main LNG shipowner — has been working closely with Novatek on all of its Arctic LNG business.
The two have paired up as Smart LNG to book 14 Arc7 LNG carrier newbuildings at domestic yard Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex. In addition, Sovcomflot is going it alone with a single Arc7 newbuilding, along with the flagship it already operates for the Novatek-led Yamal LNG project.
SHI has teamed up with Zvezda on this project.
In May, TradeWinds reported that Sovcomflot and NYK were working together on the next round of ice class 1A newbuildings and were tipped to scoop the business.
MOL has also built both Arc7 and conventional LNG vessels for charter to Novatek’s Yamal LNG. The company is expected to take part in providing two supersize LNG floating storage units which are currently under construction for Arctic shipments.
DSME, which built the first Arc7s, has six of the next generation of these LNG carriers on order for Sovcomflot and MOL for Arctic LNG 2 cargoes.
Arctic ambitions
Previously, sources also said that berths for a further three ice-class LNG vessels had also been pencilled in at China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group). The potential newbuildings are said to be linked to Russian LNG sales deals with China.
Novatek is ramping up its Arctic LNG plans, with Russia planning to see 140 million tonnes per annum produced by 2035.
The company aims to transship cargoes from its specialised ice-breaking fleet of Arc7 LNG carriers onto the two FSUs, which will be located near Murmansk in the west and Kamchatka at the eastern end of the Northern Sea Route. The new Arc4 vessels would load at the FSUs and ship the LNG to final buyers, leaving the Arc7s to work in the icier waters.
With the addition of these latest Arc4 newbuilding, if all the optional slots are declared, Novatek will have access to a fleet of more than 50 LNG carriers.
