Sovcomflot signs LNG charter with Total

Russian shipowner Sovcomflot has chartered a recently ordered newbuild 174,000m³ LNG carrier to Total.

The term charter agreement will start on delivery of the carrier in the third quarter of 2023 and will last for seven years, the shipowner said. There are options for a further two carriers.

Sovcomflot was also probably behind a recent order placed with South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) earlier this month. The order was placed by an unnamed shipowner from Liberia. All seven of Sovcomflot's ‘Atlanticmax' carriers are Liberian-flagged. Delivery of the ordered carrier is expected in early August 2023.

The Russian owner already has two carriers under term charter with Total — the 174,000m³ Atlanticmax SCF La Perouse and the 172,600m³ Arc7 ice-class Christophe de Margerie.

Sovcomflot does not have any other regular LNG carriers on its orderbook, but does have four Arc7 carriers scheduled for delivery in February-July 2023, as well as a further 14 ordered under a joint venture with Russian operator Novatek in 2023-25. All 18 newbuild Arc7s — as well as a further three ordered by Japanese owner Mitsui OSK Lines — will be used with Novatek's planned 19.8mn t/yr Arctic LNG 2 project, which is scheduled to come on line from 2023.

By Samuel Good