(Yicai Global) April 13 -- A subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation has received the Chinese shipbuilder’s first order for four liquified natural gas carriers from Qatar Energy as the Middle Eastern oil major starts a major fleet expansion program.

With a loading capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, the vessels will be built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, Xinmin Evening News reported today. It brings the number of Hudong-Zhonghua’s orders for large LNG carriers to 11 so far this year, the same number as the world’s biggest shipbuilder, South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries, the report said.

The value of the order was not disclosed, but Qatar Energy, the world’s biggest seller of LNG, signed a CNY2 billion (USD3.1 billion) agreement with Beijing-based CSSC in April 2020 for it to participate in the building a super fleet of 100 LNG carriers over the next ten years. More orders are expected to follow.

Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines will be the long-term operator of the carriers, Doha-based Qatar Energy, formerly known as Qatar Petroleum, said yesterday.

There has been a boom in demand for LNG carriers lately. In March, CSSC subsidiary Jiangnan Shipyard Group signed a contract with a unit of Abu Dhabi National Oil for two vessels. And another unit Dalian Shipbuilding Industry received a two-plus-two order from China Merchants Energy Shipping.

Editor: Kim Taylor