Three pre-qualified Chinese shipyards - Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corp (DSIC) and Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Co (Nacks) - are due to submit offers shortly on a pair of LNG-carrier newbuildings for BG Group at the end of April.

The tender is being handled by BG on behalf of China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) and joint-venture partner China Merchants, which together form China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Co (CLNG). 

Yards are being asked for offers on two 170,000-cbm LNG carriers. Delivery dates remain open at present.

A decision is expected to be made on the tender by the end of this year.

BG, CNOOC Energy Technology & Services and CLNG are tipped to jointly own the vessels.

Meanwhile, to date, Hudong-Zhonghua is China’s only LNG-carrier builder. It has delivered five vessels and will hand over a sixth later this year, with additional four on order.