National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC) will shortly unveil a raft of LNG orders in South Korea and China as well as plans to build gas ships on home soil. NITC officials have been in both countries recently looking at crude tanker orders and LNG carriers too. Local press in Iran claims LNG orders will be announced soon.

Iran is preparing for sanctions to lift and for it to swing back strongly as a large energy exporter.

Iran is looking to tap foreign expertise to form joint venture constructions of LNG carriers at a yard near Bandar Abbas. VLCCs built domestically are also under consideration.

Separately, Iran is looking to speed up its limited gas infrastructure by bringing in an FLNG and has started discussions with Belgium's Exmar. The FLNG would be brought into Iran's Kharg region.

Iran has the world's second largest reserves of gas, estimated to be around 34trn cu m. Sanctions by the US and EU against the country are likely to be lifted early next year.