Samsung Heavy Industries has ­begun repair work on the first of two SK Shipping LNG carriers that were taken out of service last year after problems emerged with their Korea Gas Corp (Kogas)-designed KC-1 membrane-type cargo ­containment systems.

The South Korean shipyard, ­Kogas-controlled designer KC LNG Tech and SK Shipping are understood to have reached a consensus on how to repair the 174,000-cbm ships.