China Oilfield Services (COSL) has been linked to an order of 12 platform supply vessels (PSVs) at domestic shipbuilders.
The CNOOC-owned company has reportedly inked eight units at Wuchang Shipbuilding and four at Dalian Liaonan, the yard's first order.
Clarksons lists four 4,000-dwt ships due from Wuchang in 2020 and four in 2021.
It also reports COSL as contracting four 5,000-dwt vessels at Liaonan, with two coming in 2020 and two in 2021.
No prices have been given.
This is a rare order in a struggling, over-tonnaged OSV sector.
COSL has 114 operational ships, plus an anchor-handler due from Wuchang next year.
Last month it said it was selling its tanker business to parent CNOOC.
The Chinese company said it had struck a deal to sell the 5,000-dwt crude carriers Bin Hai 607 and Bin Hai 608 (both built 1999) to CNOOC's 40%-owned tanker subsidiary Northsea Shipping.
The price is CNY 84.8m ($12.2m).
