Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has been tipped by brokers to be behind an order for an LNG carrier newbuild at South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean earlier this week.
A deal worth nearly $260m is the first LNG carrier order for the shipyard since rebranding from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and the fifth overall for an LNG unit this year.
MOL had ordered LNG carriers at DSME in the past and the latest addition to its orderbook is said to be an option the owner had at the yard.
Hanwha Ocean is expected to deliver the 174,000 cu m ME-GA unit in 2027.
