Some opposes to forecasts that newbuilding orders for LNG carriers would decrease in 2012 than this year.
Lee Suk-Jae, a researcher from Mirae Asset Securities, responded "LNG carrier newbuilding market next year would be as big as 2011, or bigger," regarding the outlook that the market would shrink to 30 newbuilding LNG carriers.
Lee said, "Further decrease in LNG-carrier new order was prospected by oversupply from massive newbuliding order this year. However, estimated 35-40 ships of new order in 2012 equals Korean shipbuilders' annual supply."
Added, "Overall LNG carrier market is expected to be larger with mounting high-value LNG-related ship, such as LNG-FSRU, LNG-FPSO, etc."
Also, researcher Uhm Kyung-Ah from Shin Young Securities said, "Recent forecasts was due to the announcement that Australia's LNG project is possibile to delay to 2015. However, any direct cause for lower LNG-carrier demand has not discovered, such as modification of contract or Australia's situation, and so on."
Uhm accordingly expected that newbuilding order for LNG carrier next year would be as many as 2011.