Tepco, Chubu Buying 6 LNG cargoes from Vitol

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Co and Chubu Electric Power Co,, are expected to buy a total of six cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Vitol and GDF Suez in their first joint tender, three traders said on Friday.

"They are waiting for the government to confirm," one of the traders said.

Vitol and GDF Suez are expected to supply three cargoes each, the traders said.

This is the first time the Japanese utilities have jointly tendered for LNG, aiming to reduce procurement costs for two of the world's biggest LNG buyers.

"It's unusual in Japan for two big companies to approach jointly a tender, usually what they do is they don't even tender, they just talk to their suppliers," a trader said.

It is also unusual to hold a competitive tender because most LNG is supplied under long-term bilateral contracts between buyers and suppliers.

The traders were unable to confirm the price levels or delivery dates.

Tepco, the world's second-biggest LNG buyer after Korea Gas Corp, currently buys about 25 million tonnes every year.

Chubu Electric, the world's third-biggest LNG buyer, takes in around 14 million tonnes a year. (Reporting by Sarah McFarlane and Oleg Vukmanovic