MOL’s Indian outfit expands with Sovcomflot gas carrier pair

Two midsize LPG carriers sold by Russian shipping major Sovcomflot (SCF Group) have reappeared with a company set up in India barely a year ago.

The 35,000-cbm SCF Tobolsk and SCF Tomsk (both built 2006), believed to have cost about $25m each, mark the first acquisition of Sakura Energy Transport, a Mumbai-based arm of Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL).

Set up in April, Sakura started with two ships — the 302,500-dwt VLCC Kasagisan (built 2006) and 80,200-cbm VLGC carrier Hisui (built 2010) — from its Japanese parent.