Jiangnan Shipyard in China has pencilled preliminary deals for up to six newbuldings with three Asia shipping companies.

China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), the government-owned shipbuilding group that controls the yard, disclosed that the Shanghai-based shipbuilder has inked letters of intent for gas carriers with three separate companies. The names of the buyers were not disclosed.

CSSC said two Hong Kong companies have each signed preliminary deals for two very large ethane carriers (VLECs), while a Singapore company has pencilled in two 175,000-cbm LNG carriers.