Korea secures LNG dozen

Teekay Shipping Corp and a group of Japanese owners have won contracts to lease 12 new LNG tankers to Qatar Gas according to industry sources. Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Yusen KK, Kawasaki Kaisha Kisen, Iino Kaiun Kaisha and trading house Mitsui & Co will own eight of the 215,000cu m LNG carriers while the other four will be owned by Teekay. Qatar is planning a fleet of about 70 LNG carriers as it increases gas exports to 77mn tonnes a year by 2010.