South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has inked a contract with compatriot natural gas company Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) for the construction of two small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

Under the terms of the USD 100 million contract, the ships are expected to be delivered in May and December 2019.

The 7,500 cbm vessels, to be equipped with KC-1 cargo containment system, will transport LNG from Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, to Jeju Island, according to the shipbuilder.

As informed, one of the two carriers will be capable of LNG bunkering.

The new deal marks SHI’s entering into “promising” small-scale LNG carrier and LNG-bunkering markets, SHI said.

So far, SHI has won orders worth USD 2.3 billion. They include eight tankers, two LNG carriers, one LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) and one floating production unit (FPU).