Samsung Heavy Industries Lands $1.22 Billion Order for LNG Carriers and Tankers

Samsung Heavy Industries disclosed in a regulatory filing on Monday that it had signed a 1.65 trillion-won ($1.22 billion) shipbuilding contract covering four large liquefied natural gas carriers and two oil tankers. The filing named the buyer only as a client based in Oceania, withholding further details about the company's identity.

The announcement sent Samsung Heavy shares up more than 2% in trading, even as the broader KOSPI benchmark fell sharply on the same day. The divergence underscored investor enthusiasm for the shipbuilder's order momentum despite a weaker overall market mood.

With this latest deal, Samsung Heavy's cumulative order intake for 2026 has climbed to roughly $11.7 billion, equivalent to about 84% of the company's full-year target. That total includes two floating LNG production, storage and offloading units worth a combined $4.4 billion, reflecting the yard's growing footprint in offshore energy infrastructure alongside traditional vessels.

The new contract adds to a string of LNG carrier orders that have underpinned South Korean shipbuilders' order books in recent years, as global energy buyers seek modern, fuel-efficient tonnage to move gas cargoes. Samsung Heavy has positioned LNG carriers and offshore production vessels as core growth segments even as commodity shipping markets fluctuate.

The company did not specify a delivery timetable for the newly ordered vessels. Samsung Heavy is one of South Korea's three major shipbuilders, alongside HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean, all of which have benefited from a multiyear upswing in global demand for LNG carriers and specialized tankers.