SHI secures LNG carrier order

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has received an order to build an LNG carrier, the firm's first carrier order in nearly a year.

The order, valued at 206bn South Korean won ($186mn), was placed by a firm in the Oceania region on 27 November, with delivery expected by mid-July 2023, SHI said.

Korean Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) also secured an order earlier this month for two 174,000m³ carriers valued at about $187mn each, for delivery in the second half of 2022, KSOE said.

SHI received its last LNG carrier order, for five vessels, in December last year. Orders for new LNG vessels placed with South Korean shipbuilders have continued to hold low compared with last year, with only 11 secured in January-October, down from 33 a year earlier.

The backlog for LNG vessel orders has fallen in recent months, with the number of unfulfilled orders falling to 108 in September from 113-114 in May-August.

By Ellie Holbrook