Two Chinese companies have joined forces to order three LNG carrier newbuildings priced at CNY 4bn ($620m) for charter to Chinese National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC).

Hong Kong-registered company United LNG Transportation, which is co-owned by PetroChina and Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation (CSET), ordered the three 174,000-cbm vessels at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.