Shipowners who have placed speculative orders for new LNG carriers in the past couple of years may have difficulties in securing long-term contracts.
“It will be challenging for those speculative orders to find a long-term home,” Mitsui OSK Lines director of LNG Mike Rowley said at the Gastech conference in London.
Greek and European owners have dominated speculative ordering in the last two years.
Eight Greeks currently control 46% of the world newbuilding orderbook for LNG vessels. Greek owners have invested a total of USD 7.4 billion in new LNG carriers and have 38 LNGC's on order at Korean yards from a total of 82.
But Japanese, Chinese and Korean importers are increasingly using their own vessels to import cargoes.