K Line LNG Shipping UK, now in charge of operation and management of eight LNG carriers, revealed that it will give positive consideration to newbuilding investment of the segment.
The UK-based company said that it plans to align its newbuilding fleet with state-of-the-art fuel-efficient vessels, since newbuilding prices now seem to be very attractive.
Meanwhile, as for future LNG-carrier market, the company projected that charter rates will stay strong until the first half of 2014 but the market could make a turnaround temporarily by fleet supply exceeding demand from massive deliveries of those speculatively ordered.
However, K Line emphasized that wind of new LNG export projects is expected in North America, etc., after 2016, an era of fleet shortage will come again.