Daewoo Raises Order Goal

According to Bloomberg, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., the world's second-largest shipyard, raised its target for new orders this year to a record $12b on increased demand to produce and transport energy goods. The shipyard expects new orders this year will be 20 percent higher than its earlier forecast of $10 billion, the Seoul-based company said in an e-mailed statement today. It has clinched contracts valued at $10.2 billion so far in 2006. Last year, it won a total $6.8 billion worth of orders. Daewoo Shipbuilding joins South Korean rivals Samsung Heavy Industries Co. and STX Shipbuilding Co. in increasing forecast for new orders this year, boosted by global demand for energy products. Shipyards in South Korea, home to the world's biggest, and other dockyards in Asia have been receiving more contracts to build rigs and vessels to Daewoo Shipbuilding raised its order forecast this year after winning contracts for three vessels valued at $430 million. One of the contracts is for a ship that can carry LNG to Taiwan's TMT Co. by August 2010 and the other is for two vessels that can transport liquefied petroleum gas to Greece-based Brave Maritime Corp. by January 2010.

With the latest $430-million order, Daewoo Shipbuilding has secured contracts for 14 LNG vessels with a backlog of 38, the biggest in the world, the company said. It also won contracts for 11 so-called very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, this year. Orders for drillships, platforms and other offshore projects have reached a record $4.23 billion this year, almost tripling last year's $1.47 billion, the company said. Daewoo Shipbuilding has an order backlog valued at about $23 billion, which will help keep its dockyards busy for more than three years. Source: Bloomberg