China Gets First Overseas Order for LNG Ships

China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) signed a contract with Exxon Mobil and Mitsui & Co Ltd on Saturday to build four LNG ships (liquefied natural gas), the nation's first overseas order for such an advanced carrier. Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd, a subsidiary of CSSC, will build the ships for Mitsui, a Japanese shipping giant.

The ships are scheduled for delivery between 2015 and 2016. The fleet will be used for shipping China's imports of liquefied natural gas from Australia and Papua New Guinea. In 2009, Exxon Mobil contracted with China's major oil and gas producer PetroChina and refiner Sinopec to transport exports about 425 tons of liquefied natural gas per year.

Only a handful of nations, such as the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea, have the ability to build such ships. Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd is China's only LNG ship builder. Its first ship was delivered in April 2008. It has completed 5 vessels, with one still under construction.