Almi Tankers hopes to firm up a deal with a substitute buyer for its two VLCC newbuildings in weeks leaving the way clear for the company to make a break into the LNG sector with a single new order.
Company head Costas Fostiropoulos said negotiations with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering are at an early stage on the 160,000-cbm LNG carrier newbuilding which would be for an early 2014 delivery date.
He added discussions are underway with US energy majors for a charter deal on the ship.
The Greek owner confirmed Almi has requested a delayed delivery date on the second of its two 318,000-dwt VLCCs, which are currently scheduled for handovers in June and December 2013.
However he added Almi hopes to finalise on the transfer of the VLCC slots in “maybe two weeks”. He declined to name the substitute owner.
“Everything is under negotiation and nothing is finalised," Fostiropoulos said.
Industry players expressed surprise that a buyer would emerge to take on the VLCC slots in the current market.
Yard sources comment that if Almi wants to swap the VLCCs to an LNG carrier berth this would incur a conversion charge of at least $30m.
The VLCCs Almi ordered are understood to have been priced at $105m apiece. A standard LNG carrier newbuilding is likely to cost the company $200m plus.
A move into LNG would be a first for the company which has three vessels on the water.
Last year Greek shipowners Thenamaris, Cardiff Marine and Alpha Tankers all made their first plays in the sector with speculative LNG newbuildings while existing players grew their fleets with new orders in the hot market.
