Flex LNG has landed a new charter deal for its LNG carrier Flex Aurora, locking in fresh employment just weeks after the vessel came off its previous contract. The New York-listed, John Fredriksen-backed owner said the 2020-built vessel has been fixed to a supermajor for a firm period of two years, with options that could stretch the deal to as much as eight years in total. The 174,000 cu m LNG carrier was redelivered from its prior 3.5-year charter in the first half of March and has now been promptly re-fixed in what the company described as a firm freight market. If all extension options are exercised, the vessel could remain on hire until 2034. The deal lifts Flex LNG’s contract backlog to a minimum of 55 years, rising to 82 years if all optional periods across the fleet are taken up. Chief executive Marius Foss said the fixture reflects solid demand for modern tonnage and comes at a time when spot rates are holding up, even as wider energy markets remain volatile. With the new contract in place and some vessels still exposed to the spot market, Flex LNG said expects a positive earnings contribution in the second quarter. The company added that it continues to monitor market conditions closely, flagging that full-year guidance could be revised if volatility persists. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsNorway