China Merchants Energy says to order six vessels

China Merchants Energy Shipping Co. (601872.SS: Quote, Profile , Research), the country's biggest oil carrier, said on Thursday it plans to order six vessels and will seek up to $200 million in bank credit to fund the purchase.

The company has signed an initial agreement to buy five 180,000 tonne bulk cargo carriers from a state-run shipbuilder in the northeastern city of Dalian, it said in a statement.

It also placed an order for a very large crude carrier but did not identify the manufacturer.

It aims to secure up to $200 million in financing from overseas banks for the orders.

The company has been aggressively expanding its fleet to take advantage of booming Chinese and global trade.

Earlier in the month, China Merchants Energy said it had ordered two 180,000 tonne vessels for $151.2 million.

In June, it announced plans to buy two crude oil tankers for a total of $232 million, and in April it said it had agreed to buy four crude oil tankers for $343 million, with delivery by August 2010.