Korea-based shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has inked a contract for the construction of two mega-class liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers with an undisclosed Asian owner.

The ships have the capacity to carry 84,000cbm of LPG and feature a length of 226m and 36.6m in width. The LPG carrier newbuilds are slated for delivery to their India-based owner in 2017 from DSME's Okpo yard. The contract value has not been disclosed.

DSME said that it has US$3.9bn worth of ship orders so far, or the equivalent of 27 ships.

However, the shipbuilder has been struggling with liquidity issues having recorded a major operating loss of KRW2.39tn (US$2.1bn) for the first half of 2015, confirming media predictions that saw the shipbuilder's shares plunge by 30% in July.

The company is undergoing restructuring process which is expected to include disposal of its six poor performing subsidiaries, and a switch of focus to its core shipbuilding activities.