Greece’s Alpha Gas looks set to scoop multi-year time-charter business from Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GM&T) to back two LNG carrier newbuildings it has on order at South Korean shipbuilder DSME.

Industry sources said Alpha has emerged as the preferred choice from a raft of shipowners that made offers for the deal, although contracts have yet to be signed.

The company appears to have concluded its fourth LNG carrier order at DSME in the final few weeks of 2018.