ADNOC Logistics & Services has placed a $900m order for four new LNG carriers at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, adding significant long-term capacity to its fleet and signalling confidence in LNG shipping fundamentals, the company said.
The order, announced on 10 July 2026, covers four 175,000 cubic metre vessels to be delivered in 2029, according to Splash247. The agreement was signed during a visit by Sultan Al Jaber, managing director and group CEO of ADNOC, to the Jiangnan yard. The latest purchase brings ADNOC L&S’s total LNG newbuilding programme to 18 vessels.
Order Details and Fleet Expansion
ADNOC L&S has already taken delivery of six 175,000 cbm LNG carriers from Jiangnan under a $1.2bn order placed in 2022. Five of those vessels are deployed on contracts of up to 15 years with ADNOC Gas. In addition, the company has eight LNG carriers under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean in South Korea, backed by an investment of about $2.5bn. Those Korean-built vessels are due from 2028 and have been fixed on 20-year time charters to ADNOC Gas. The four new Jiangnan newbuilds are also expected to work on long-term charters, according to the company.
The table below summarises ADNOC L&S’s active LNG newbuilding programme across Chinese and Korean yards:
| Yard | Number of Vessels | Vessel Size (cbm) | Approx. Value | Delivery Timeline | Charter Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiangnan Shipyard (previous) | 6 | 175,000 | $1.2bn | Delivered | 5 vessels on 15-year charters to ADNOC Gas |
| Jiangnan Shipyard (new) | 4 | 175,000 | ~$900m | 2029 | Expected on long-term charters |
| Samsung Heavy Industries & Hanwha Ocean | 8 | (not specified) | ~$2.5bn | From 2028 | 20-year time charters to ADNOC Gas |
Since 2022, ADNOC L&S has committed more than $5bn to 32 vessels, with nine delivered and 23 still to come through 2029, according to the company.
Strategic Context
The order comes days after ADNOC launched a new global LNG marketing and trading platform in Abu Dhabi, bringing together the LNG marketing activities of ADNOC Gas and XRG with ADNOC Trading. The platform is targeting 47 million tonnes per year of combined marketable LNG by 2035, according to the announcement.
Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC L&S, said the order reflected the company’s confidence in LNG shipping fundamentals and its push to connect supply with demand centres, as reported by Splash247.
Implications for the LNG Supply Chain
For logistics professionals in the energy shipping sector, this order adds predictable long-term capacity to the LNG carrier fleet, potentially influencing charter rates and vessel availability on routes serving ADNOC’s global customers. The vessels are expected to support ADNOC Gas’s multi-year offtake agreements, providing shippers with reliable tonnage. The expansion also reinforces the growing role of Chinese shipyards in high-spec LNG construction, alongside established Korean builders.
Watch List
The key factors to monitor include:
- Delivery schedule adherence for the eight Korean-built vessels from 2028 and the four Chinese newbuilds from 2029.
- Charter rate trends in the LNG sector as new capacity enters the market.
- LNG demand growth and the progress of ADNOC’s marketing platform toward its 47 mtpa target by 2035.
- Further orders from ADNOC L&S as its multi-billion dollar fleet renewal programme continues.
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