The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is expanding its ocean survey fleet with a domestic newbuilding deal.

Brokers said it has ordered a 4,000-gt geophysical ship at the Huangpu Wenchong shipyard.

The 90-metre vessel will be delivered in January, 2021.

It is costing CNY 287.2m ($41.5m).

The newbuilding will be operated by CAS subsidiary South China Sea Institute of Oceanography of Academic Sinicam (SCSIO), which already manages two other ships in the fleet.