Bahri Entered LPG Market With Three Ship Acquisition
The Saudi shipping firm added secondhand gas carriers to its fleet, marking its entry into the LPG transport sector.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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Saudi Arabia-based Bahri has acquired three secondhand midsize LPG carrier vessels from Belgium-based Exmar. The move officially marks the expansion of the company's maritime transport operations into the liquefied petroleum gas segment.
Why it matters
This acquisition represents a strategic diversification for Bahri as it moves into the specialized LPG shipping market. The fleet expansion allows the operator to capture new demand in energy transport corridors by leveraging established, midsize tonnage.
Bahri purchased three midsize vessels, including two 38,500-cubic-metre capacity ships and one 38,200-cubic-metre unit. The company is scaling its maritime assets via these secondhand acquisitions.
The players
Bahri
A Saudi Arabia-based global leader in logistics and maritime transportation that operates a large fleet of tankers and cargo ships.
Exmar
A Belgian maritime company specializing in the transportation and transformation of liquefied gases, with a focus on offshore and ship-to-ship transfer solutions.
The details
The transaction includes the 2016-built Kortrijk, now renamed Gas Aqua, along with the 2017-built Kruibeke and 2018-built Wepion. By procuring secondhand tonnage, Bahri gains immediate operational capacity rather than waiting for newbuild delivery schedules. The vessels will be integrated into the firm's broader logistical network for energy transport.
Timeline
The vessel Kortrijk was originally built in 2016.
The vessel Kruibeke was built in 2017.
The vessel Wepion was built in 2018.
Market Landscape
This move reflects a broader trend of major tanker operators diversifying into specialized gas shipping to mitigate risk and expand market footprint. It follows the established pattern of large-scale logistics firms utilizing secondhand market cycles to secure tonnage.
Operators in the maritime logistics space should monitor how Bahri integrates these midsize assets into their existing trade routes. Watch for potential changes in regional LPG spot rates as new capacity enters the competitive market.
The takeaway
The acquisition highlights the utility of secondhand vessel procurement for rapid market entry in capital-intensive industries. Operators should monitor the integration of these ships to determine if Bahri gains a competitive cost advantage in the LPG shipping segment.
Further reading
For more insight into sectoral shifts, visit our Oil and Gas section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Baird Maritime.
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