Australia's Global Energy Ventures (GEV) is working on a new agreement for its planned $1.1bn order for compressed natural gas (CNG) carriers in China.

A letter of intent (LOI) with Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore for up to eight ships built to its Optimum 200 design expired on 31 December.

The LOI had already been extended by six months last June as the company works on getting CNG projects off the ground.