Chinese shipbuilding company Jiangsu Eastern Shipyard has been awarded a contract to build two oil tankers worth US$61.49 million by Indonesia's state-run oil firm Pertamina, an executive said Thursday.

 

Jiangsu is expected to deliver the two tankers in July 2010, Pertamina President Ari Soemarno said after signing the contract with Jiangsu executives.

 

Soemarno said the contract was a result of a recent tender attended by several foreign shipbuilders, including South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industry.

 

The tankers will be used to transport kerosene for a period of 25 years, he said, adding that no local shipbuilding company was capable to meet contract requirements in pre-tender offering.

 

"Pertamina needs more tankers to boost its competitiveness," he said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2007)