MISC Names First Qatar-Chartered LNG Vessel

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 6, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) held a naming ceremony at Samsung Heavy Industries' shipyard in South Korea for its next-generation liquefied natural gas carrier, the "Th'ailib." The vessel is the first of three newly built LNG carriers secured by the company under a long-term time charter contract with QatarEnergy, and is scheduled to be chartered to QatarEnergy from 2026 for a fixed term of 15 years. The new vessel has a cargo tank capacity of 174,000 cubic meters and is part of the second phase of QatarEnergy's LNG fleet expansion program.

The "Th'ailib" is equipped with dual-fuel engines, a reliquefaction system, high-performance antifouling hull coating, and an air lubrication system. The onboard reliquefaction facility is used to handle boil-off gas generated during voyages, and the relevant propulsion and hull technologies are all included in the equipment configuration of this newbuild. The naming event was attended by representatives from MISC, QatarEnergy, Samsung Heavy Industries, and the classification society DNV.

MISC had previously participated in the first phase of QatarEnergy's LNG fleet expansion program through a consortium arrangement, involving 12 carriers. The company subsequently secured long-term charter arrangements for another three newbuilds in the second phase, with the "Th'ailib" being among the first vessels of the second phase. The two phases correspond to different vessel contract arrangements, with the first phase using a consortium participation model, while the three vessels in the second phase were secured by the company under long-term time charter contracts.

QatarEnergy will use the "Th'ailib" to carry out LNG transportation tasks under the long-term charter arrangement. The vessel was named at Samsung Heavy Industries, and the charter arrangement begins in 2026; however, publicly available announcements have not specified the actual date of commencement of commercial operations, nor have they disclosed the total contract value corresponding to the 15-year charter period or the specific delivery dates of the remaining two newbuilds.

According to MISC's official disclosure, the vessel has entered the operational phase, while the other two newbuilds are still awaiting delivery. This news milestone should be anchored to the naming and delivery progress of the first vessel on October 6, 2026, rather than characterizing the charter contract already signed on March 31, 2024, as a newly secured order in 2026.