China wins Iranian LNG carrier orders
According to local press reports, Iran has ordered six LNG tankers from China to transport the natural gas it hopes to export from its giant gas reserves.
The order, worth $200 million to 220 million per ship, is a sign that China's economic relations with Iran remain fairly good despite Beijing backing a new draft of U.N. sanctions meant to pressure Tehran over its uranium enrichment programme.
Mohammad Souri, managing director of the National Iranian Tanker (NIT), said Iran usually bought South Korean ships but had judged the Chinese offer better value for money. Unlike Qatar, its neighbour across the Gulf with which it shares the vast South Pars gas field, Iran does not yet produce LNG. The development of Iran's gas industry has been hampered by years of sanctions which have deterred foreign investors.
As China's economy has boomed in recent years, it has used its financial clout, in the form of loans or investments, to strengthen ties with mineral-rich countries around the world, including Iran, its third-largest crude oil supplier.
