In order to renew its fleet, Angolan oil company Sonangol is preparing to build a series of vessels for which several Chinese and South Korean shipbuilders have been invited to tender.
According to foreign media reports, Sonangol has issued bid invitations to several shipyards for three 174,000 cubic meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and four Suezmax tankers.
The LNG carriers are expected to be worth about $260 million each, with three totaling $780 million. China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and Jiangnan Shipyard and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries are said to have received invitations to bid.
In addition, three Korean shipyards have participated in the tender for four Suezmax tankers, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and DH Shipbuilding (formerly Daehan Shipbuilding). The four tankers are expected to be fitted with desulphurization towers at a price of about $90 million to $95 million each, with a total order value of $380 million.
Tenders for Suezmax tankers have already been opened, while orders for LNG carriers are expected to take more time to be finalized as they are still at an early stage.