CNOOC to Fuel 50 New Gas-powered River Vessels

China National Offshore Oil Company, or CNOOC, said on Tuesday its gas and power unit would fuel 50 gas-powered vessels to be built by a state-run shipping group as part of the country's gasification push.

The vessels, all for dry bulk shipments and scaled at 2,000 - 3,000 dead-weight tonnages, will be powered purely by liquefied natural gas, CNOOC said.

CNOOC, China's top importer of the super-chilled fuel, has also been a leader in pushing for its use as ship fuel.

In a separate pact, China State Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd agreed to build the 50 vessels for Guangdong Province Navigation Holdings Co Ltd to deploy along the Pearl River in south China.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; editing by Philippa Fletcher)