Smit Lamnalco has placed an order with Hong Kong-based shipbuilder, Cheoy Lee, for a series of four 32-m (105-ft) long RAstar 3200 class Azimuth stern drive tugs.

Built to the Robert Allan design, the tugs will be deployed to support Smit Lamnalco’s contract to assist the berthing and unberthing of LNG carriers at new export facilities being developed in Papua New Guinea by the Exxon Mobil-led consortium, Papua New Guinea LNG. They will be deployed on initial ten-year charters with options to extend to 25 years.

The four new tugs will be built by Cheoy Lee at its Hin LeesShipyard in the Pearl River Delta, China. Delivery of the first two of new tugs is scheduled for October and November 2013, with the remaining two following in January and February 2014.

The estimated value of the contract is $35 million.