jiangsu rongsheng heavy industries group co ltd for sale

Last October, the company entered into an agreementto sell 98.5% equity interest of Rongsheng Heavy Industries, the entire interest in Rongsheng Engineering Machinery, Rongsheng Power Machinery and Rongsheng Marine Engineering Petroleum Services, to Unique Orient, an investment holding company owned by Wang Mingqing, a creditor of Huarong Energy, for a nominal price of HK$1.

Once the largest private shipyard in China, Rongsheng ceased shipbuilding operations in 2014 after it was hit by a major financial crisis and the shipyard rebranded into Huarong Energy in 2015.

Huarong Energy is of the view that the shipbuilding and engineering business is unlikely to see a turnaround in the foreseeable future and it is in the best interests of the company to dispose of the business and focus its resources on energy.

Another once-leading privately-owned yard China Huarong Energy Company, previously and better known as China Rongsheng Heavy Industries, continues to struggle with debts and ongoing talks with its creditors. The shipbuilder with huge yard facilities is now literally a �ghost yard�, where operations have ceased as funds dried up.

Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Co. used to employ more than 30,000 people in the eastern city of Rugao. Once China�s largest shipbuilder, by 2015 Rongsheng was on the verge of bankruptcy. Orders had dried up and banks are refusing credit. Questions have been raised about the shipyard�s business practices, including allegations of padded order books. And Rongsheng was apparently behind on repaying some of the 20.4 billion yuan in combined debt owed to 14 banks, three trusts and three leasing firms.

Rongsheng is on the ropes now that it had completed a multi-year order for so-called Valemax ships for the Brazilian iron ore mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce. The last of these 16 bulk carriers, the Ore Ningbo, was delivered in January 2015. With a carrying capacity of up to 400,000 tons, Valemaxes are the world�s largest ore carriers. Vale hired Rongsheng to build the ships starting in 2008, and has tolerated the shipyard�s slow pace: The Ore Ningbo was delivered three years late. Rongsheng employees said the Ore Ningbo may have been the shipyard�s last product because no new ship orders are expected and all contracts for unfinished ships have either been canceled or are in jeopardy.

Founder and former chairman Zhang Zhirong started the company in 2005 with money made when he worked as a property developer in the 1990s. The new shipyard stunned the industry by clinching major vessel orders from the start, even at a time when most of the world�s shipyards were slumping. Rongsheng�s success attracted investors and banks to the company�s side, fueling its expansion.

The shipyard, a sprawling facility spread across one-third of Changqingsha Island in the middle of the Yangtze River, suffered from a lack of capacity and management problems. As a result, the company had trouble meeting its contract obligations, including delivery timetables. Rongsheng�s problems were tied to difficulties with delivering ships. Many of Rongsheng�s order cancellations were due to its own delivery delays.

After the global financial crisis of 2008, many ship owners could no longer afford paying in advance for new vessels. So builders such as Rongsheng started arranging up-front financing with Chinese banks that got projects off the ground.

Rongsheng built ships with a combined capacity of 8 million tons in 2010 and was preparing to begin filling US$ 3 billion in new orders the following year. But the company�s 2011 orders wound up totaling only US$ 1.8 billion. That same year, Rongsheng�s customers canceled contracts for 23 new vessels.

In 2012, Rongsheng received orders for only two ships. Layoffs ensued, with some 20,000 workers getting the axe. The company closed the year with a net loss of 573 million yuan, down from a 1.7 billion yuan net profit in 2011 and despite 1.27 billion yuan in government subsidies. The bleeding worsened in 2013, with 8.7 billion yuan in reported losses. Despite a recovery of the Chinese shipbuilding industry in 2014, Rongsheng saw no relief, as its clients canceled orders for 59 vessels that year.

Roxen Shipping, a company controlled by Chinese businessman Guan Xiong, reportedly stepped in to rescue some US$ 2 billion worth of ship contracts that were canceled by Rongsheng�s other customers. Without these orders, Rongsheng never would have maintained its status as the No. 1 shipbuilder in China from 2009 to 2013.

Rongsheng�s capital crunch worsened since February 2014, when the China Development Bank (CDB) demanded more collateral after the company failed to make a scheduled payment on a 710 million yuan loan. When Rongsheng refused, the CDB called the loan. Other banks that issued loans to the shipbuilder had taken similar steps.

Rongsheng�s weak financial position was highlighted by a third-quarter 2014 financial report in which the company posted a net loss of 2.4 billion yuan. It also reported 31.3 billion yuan in liabilities, including 7.6 billion yuan worth of outstanding short-term debt.

It would cost at least 5 billion yuan to restart operations at Rongsheng�s facility, plus they have a huge amount of debt. Buying Rongsheng would not be a good deal.

(Bloomberg) — China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd., the shipbuilder whose woes made it a symbol of the country’s credit binge, said it planned to sell assets to an unidentified Chinese acquirer.

The company intends to sell the core assets and liabilities of its onshore shipbuilding and offshore engineering businesses, according to a statement to the Hong Kong exchange Monday. Rongsheng’s shares, which were halted March 11, will resume trading on March 17.

Once China’s largest shipbuilder outside government control, Shanghai-based Rongsheng has been searching for funds after orders for new ships dried up and the company fell behind on principal and interest payments on 8.57 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) of bank loans. Rongsheng’s struggles illustrate the difficulties shipbuilders face in competing with state-owned yards that have government backing and easier access to funds.

Rongsheng and the proposed buyer have entered into an exclusivity period while assets and liabilities are valued, according to the statement. The agreement will expire on June 30, the company said.

Rongsheng said March 5 it wouldn’t proceed with a proposed warrant sale after Kingwin Victory Investment Ltd. owner Wang Ping — a potential investor who had pledged as much as HK$3.2 billion ($412 million) — was said to have been detained.

The company is trying to complete a restructuring by June and has proposed to change its name to China Huarong Energy Co. to more accurately reflect its expansion and new business scope.

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd. said previously it had been approached by China’s government about buying a stake in Rongsheng, and that no decision had been made. Yangzijiang Chief Financial Officer Liu Hua said today that the company isn’t involved in the agreement announced by Rongsheng, according to the company’s external representative.

Rongsheng has sought help from the government to benefit from a rebound in China’s shipbuilding industry — the world’s second biggest — after cutting its workforce and running up debts amid a global downturn in orders.

As orders for new ships began to dry up, China in 2013 issued a three-year plan urging financial institutions to support the shipbuilding industry. Ship owners placing orders for China-made vessels, engines and some parts should get better funding, the State Council said. A third of the more than 1,600 shipyards in China could shut down in the next five years, an industry association predicted earlier.

In September, the government responded by listing Rongsheng’s Jiangsu shipyard unit among 51 shipbuilding facilities in China deemed worthy of policy support as the industry grapples with overcapacity.

Some of Rongsheng’s subsidiaries, including Hefei Rong An Power Machinery Co. and Rongsheng Machinery Co., signed agreements with domestic lenders, led by Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, to extend debt repayments to the end of 2015, the company said in October.

(Bloomberg) — China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd., which hasn’t announced any 2012 ship orders, may find winning deals even harder as a company owned by its billionaire chairman faces an insider-trading probe.

China’s biggest shipbuilder outside state control tumbled 16 percent yesterday in Hong Kong after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said traders including Chairman Zhang Zhi Rong’s Well Advantage Ltd. made more than $13 million of illegal profits buying shares of Nexen Inc. ahead of a takeover announcement by CNOOC Ltd. The SEC also won a court order freezing about $38 million of the traders’ assets.

The investigation may deter customers from placing orders, Jon Windham, an analyst at Barclays Plc., said yesterday by phone. “It’s obviously very bad for the overall image of the company.” He downgraded the stock to underweight from equalweight and cut its target price to HK$1.06 from HK$2.40.

Rongsheng, based in Shanghai, has tumbled 87 percent since a November 2010 initial public offering because of concerns about delivery delays and a global slump in ship orders caused by a glut of vessels. The shipbuilder, which operates facilities in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, also said yesterday that first- half profit probably dropped “significantly” because of falling prices and slowing orders.

The demand slump has pushed new-ship prices to an eight- year low, according to shipbroker Clarkson Plc. Chinese shipyard orders plunged 49 percent in the first half.

The probe won’t affect day-to-day operations run by Chief Executive Officer Chen Qiang, as Chairman Zhang only has a non- executive role, Rongsheng said in a statement yesterday. Zhang wasn’t available for comment yesterday, according to Doris Chung, public relations manager at Glorious Property Holdings Ltd., a developer he controls.

Chen isn’t aware of Zhang’s personal business dealings and he has no plans to leave Rongsheng, he said yesterday by text message in reply to Bloomberg News questions. The CEO may help reassure potential customers as he is well-known among shipowners, said Lawrence Li, an analyst at UOB Kay Hian Holdings Ltd.

Zhang owns 46 percent of Rongsheng and 64 percent of Glorious Property, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The developer dropped 1.7 percent to close at HK$1.16 in Hong Kong today after falling 11 percent yesterday. Zhang’s listed holdings are worth about $1.2 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Zhang, who holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree from Asia Macau International Open University, started in building materials and construction subcontracting before getting into real estate. Construction of his first project, in Shanghai, began in 1996, according to Glorious Property’s IPO prospectus. He got into shipbuilding after discussing the idea with Chen at a Shanghai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association event in 2001, according to Rongsheng’s sale document. He formed the company that grew into Rongsheng three years later.

“People in his hometown think Zhang is a legend as he expanded two companies in different sectors so quickly,” said Ji Fenghua, chairman of Nantong Mingde Group, a shipyard located next to Rongsheng’s facility in Nantong city, Jiangsu province. The billionaire maintains a low profile, said Ji, who has never seen him at meetings organized by the local government.

Rongsheng raised HK$14 billion in its 2010 IPO, selling shares at HK$8 each. The company’s market value has fallen by about $6.1 billion to $1 billion, based on data compiled by Bloomberg.

The shipbuilder has had delays as it builds 16 of the world’s biggest commodity ships for Vale SA and Oman Shipping Co. It was supposed to hand over eight of the ships last year, according to its IPO prospectus. Instead, it only delivered one. It had handed over two more to Vale by May 20. The same month, it christened two for Oman Shipping, Xinhua reported.

The company’s cash reserves have also declined. It had 6.3 billion yuan of cash and cash equivalents at the end of December down from 10.4 billion yuan a year earlier. Its short-term borrowings rose to 18.2 billion yuan from 10.1 billion yuan, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Rongsheng, which also makes engines and excavators, had outstanding orders for 98 ships as of June 2012, according to Clarkson. It employed 7,046 people at the end of last year, according to its annual report. The shipbuilder has built a pipe-laying vessel for Cnooc and it has a strategic cooperation agreement with the energy company.

Well Advantage and other unknown traders stockpiled shares of Nexen before Cnooc announced plans to buy the Calgary-based energy company for $15.1 billion, according to the SEC. The regulator acted to freeze accounts less than 24 hours after Well Advantage placed an order to liquidate its position, it said. The investigation continues, it said July 27.

The traders may have to pay multiples of the profit they made from illegal deals to settle the case, based on previous incidents, said David Webb, the founder of corporate-governance website Webb-site.com. The frozen accounts may make a settlement more probable as the traders won’t be able to access cash, he said. Still, there may be a long-term impact on reputations.

“Cases such as this bring the integrity of the persons involved into question,” Webb said. “And, if they are running a bank or a listed company, then it tends to tarnish the firm too.”

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RUGAO, China/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Deserted flats and boarded-up shops in the Yangtze river town of Changqingcun serve as a blunt reminder of the area"s reliance on China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group, the country"s biggest private shipbuilder.A view of the Rongsheng Heavy Industries shipyard is seen in Nantong, Jiangsu province December 4, 2013. REUTERS/Aly Song

The shipbuilder this week predicted a substantial annual loss, just months after appealing to the government for financial help as it reeled from industry overcapacity and shrinking orders. Rongsheng lost an annual record 572.6 million yuan ($92 million) last year, and lost 1.3 billion yuan in the first half of this year.

While Beijing seems intent to promote a shift away from an investment-heavy model, with companies reliant on government cash injections, some analysts say Rongsheng is too big for China to let fail.

As ship orders and funding have dried up, the firm has delayed deliveries and now faces legal disputes, shipping and legal sources said. The company - whose market value has slumped more than 90 percent to around $1 billion since its Hong Kong listing in late 2010 - is in talks with bankers to restructure its debt.

Local media reported in July that Rongsheng had laid off as many as 8,000 workers as demand slowed. Three years ago, the company had about 20,000 staff and contract employees. This week, the shipbuilder said an unspecified number of workers had been made redundant this year.

“In this area we’re only really selling to workers from the shipyard. If they’re not here who do we sell to?” said one of the few remaining shopkeepers, surnamed Sui, playing a videogame at his work-wear store. “I know people with salaries held back and they can’t pay for things. I can’t continue if things stay the same.”

“Without new orders it’s hard to see how operations can continue,” said one worker wearing oil-spattered overalls and a Rongsheng hardhat, adding he was still waiting to be paid for September. He didn’t want to give his name as he feared he could lose his job.

“Morale in the office is quite low, since we don’t know what is the plan,” said a Rongsheng executive, who declined to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media. “We have been getting orders but can’t seem to get construction loans from banks to build these projects.”

While Rongsheng has won just two orders this year, state-backed rival Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuildinghas secured 50, according to shipbroker data. Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuildinghas won more than $1 billion in new orders and is moving into offshore jack-up rig construction, noted Jon Windham, head industrials analyst at Barclays in Hong Kong.

Frontline, a shipping company controlled by Norwegian business tycoon John Fredriksen, ordered two oil tankers from Rongsheng in 2010 for delivery earlier this year. It now expects to receive both of them in 2014, Frontline CEO Jens Martin Jensen told Reuters.

Greek shipowner DryShips Inchas also questioned whether other large tankers on order will be delivered. DryShips said Rongsheng is building 43 percent of the Suezmax vessels - tankers up to 200,000 deadweight tons - in the current global order book. That"s equivalent to 23 ships, according to Rongsheng data.

Speaking at a quarterly results briefing last month, DryShips Chief Financial Officer Ziad Nakhleh said Rongsheng was “a yard that, as we stated before, is facing difficulties and, as such, we believe there is a high probability they will not be delivered.” DryShips has four dry cargo vessels on order at the Chinese firm.

Rongsheng declined to comment on the Dryships order, citing client confidentiality. “For other orders on hand, our delivery plan is still ongoing,” a spokesman said.

At least two law firms in Shanghai and Singapore are acting for shipowners seeking compensation from Rongsheng for late or cancelled orders. “I’m now dealing with several cases against Rongsheng,” said Lawrence Chen, senior partner at law firm Wintell & Co in Shanghai.

Billionaire Zhang Zhirong, who founded Rongsheng in 2005 and is the shipyard"s biggest shareholder, last month announced plans to privatize Hong Kong-listed Glorious Property Holdingsin a HK$4.57 billion ($589.45 million) deal - a move analysts said could raise money to plug Rongsheng"s debts.

The shipbuilder’s net debt to equity, a measure of indebtedness, climbed to 134 percent in January-June from 119 percent in 2012 and 85 percent in 2011. Talks with its banking syndicate are ongoing, with no indication when a deal could be struck, a person at one of the banks told Reuters this week.

Meanwhile, Rongsheng’s shipyard woes have already pushed many people away from nearby centers, and others said they would have to go if things don’t pick up. Some said they hoped the local government might step in with financial support.

The Rugao government did not respond to requests for comment on whether it would lend financial or other support to Rongsheng. Annual reports show Rongsheng has received state subsidies in the past three years.

The exodus has left row upon row of deserted apartments, with just a few old garments strewn on the floor and empty name tags to show for what was a bustling community before China’s economic growth began to slow and credit tightened at a time when global shipping, too, turned down.

“The lottery has become increasingly popular,” said a girl working the till. “I’m not sure why really, but perhaps people are hoping they can win something here.”

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries Co Ltd has appointed Morgan Stanleyand JP Morganto finalize plans for its long-awaited IPO in Hong Kong, aiming to raise up to $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter, sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

This is Rongsheng’s latest bid to go public after it failed to raise more than $2 billion from a planned IPO in Hong Kong in 2008, mainly as a result of the global financial crisis.

Rongsheng"s early main shareholders included an Asia investment arm of Goldman Sachs, U.S. hedge fund D.E. Shaw and New Horizon, a China fund founded by the son of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

The three investors sold off their stakes in Rongsheng for a profit early this year, said the sources familiar with the situation. Representatives for the banks, funds and Rongsheng all declined to comment.

Rongsheng’s revived IPO plan comes at a challenging time. Smaller domestic rival, New Century Shipbuilding, slashed its Singapore IPO in half last week, planning to raise up to $560 million from the originally planned $1.24 billion due to weak market conditions.

Given uncertainty in the global shipbuilding business environment as well as growing concerns over a huge flow of fund-raising events in Hong Kong, investment bankers suggest the potential size for Rongsheng could be $1 billion to $1.5 billion, according to the sources.

Investors have turned cautious on the industry after it was dealt a heavy blow by the economic downturn, with orders shrinking last year and the sector yet to fully recover.

Rongsheng is seeking to tap capital markets to fund fast growth and aims to catch up with bigger state-owned rivals such as Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd.

Rongsheng won a $484 million deal to build four ships for Oman Shipping Co last year. The vessels would carry exports from an iron ore pellet plant in northern Oman which is expected to begin production in the second half of 2010.

Chinese shipbuilder Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries has raised about HKD$14bn ($1.8bn) in its initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Rongsheng will use part of the sale proceeds to fund its shipbuilding and offshore engineering businesses, and to repay loans, according to lloydslist.com.

The shipyard of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd in Rugao, Jiangsu province. The company will generate HK$2.55 billion ($326.4 million) in a share sale in the next six months and HK$3.23 billion thereafter. [Provided to China Daily]

China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd, the private-sector shipbuilder that had sought financial assistance, has secured cash for restructuring and announced changing the company"s name as it shifts focus to energy.

The country"s second-largest private vessel maker has been given a HK$3.23 billion ($417 million) cash injection, the company said in Hong Kong Stock Exchange filings.

The company"s struggles illustrate the difficulties shipbuilders face in competing with State-owned yards that have government backing and easier access to financing.

Shifting its focus to oil will need a lot more funds, which Rongsheng already struggled to get as a shipbuilder, said Francis Lun, chief executive officer of Geo Securities Ltd.

"They are already having funding problems. Their gamble has backfired. Some people might be concerned they might need a lot of funding in future because oil exploration is a very capital-intensive business," said Hong Kong-based Lun.

The company had sought help from the government to benefit from a rebound in China"s shipbuilding industry after cutting its workforce and running up huge debts amid a global downturn in orders.

In September the Jiangsu shipyard unit was listed among 51 shipbuilding facilities in China deemed worthy of policy support as the industry grapples with overcapacity.

Rongsheng said it has now received the results of an appraisal by an independent assessor, which will be used as the basis for the restructuring in which it also plans to change its name to China Huarong Energy Co to more accurately reflect its expansion and new business scope.

China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd, the private-sector shipbuilder that had sought financial assistance, has secured cash for restructuring and announced changing the company"s name as it shifts focus to energy.

The country"s second-largest private vessel maker has been given a HK$3.23 billion ($417 million) cash injection, the company said in Hong Kong Stock Exchange filings.

The company"s struggles illustrate the difficulties shipbuilders face in competing with State-owned yards that have government backing and easier access to financing.

Shifting its focus to oil will need a lot more funds, which Rongsheng already struggled to get as a shipbuilder, said Francis Lun, chief executive officer of Geo Securities Ltd.

"They are already having funding problems. Their gamble has backfired. Some people might be concerned they might need a lot of funding in future because oil exploration is a very capital-intensive business," said Hong Kong-based Lun.

The company had sought help from the government to benefit from a rebound in China"s shipbuilding industry after cutting its workforce and running up huge debts amid a global downturn in orders.

In September the Jiangsu shipyard unit was listed among 51 shipbuilding facilities in China deemed worthy of policy support as the industry grapples with overcapacity.

Rongsheng said it has now received the results of an appraisal by an independent assessor, which will be used as the basis for the restructuring in which it also plans to change its name to China Huarong Energy Co to more accurately reflect its expansion and new business scope.

Some of Rongsheng"s subsidiaries, including Hefei Rong An Power Machinery Co and Rongsheng Machinery Co, signed agreements with domestic lenders, led by Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, to extend debt repayments to the end of 2015.

The Shanghai-based company said on Aug 21 that it is entering the energy business by buying 60 percent in a Kyrgyzstan oilfield by issuing new shares. It said on Oct 15 that it is seeking to identify new investment opportunities outside of China including in Central Asia.

Shares in the maker of bulk carriers and oil tankers had been suspended from trading since Aug 29 in Hong Kong, pending the restructuring details. Rongsheng had first-half net losses of 3.06 billion yuan ($501 million), more than double last year"s.

Rongsheng was overdue on principal and interest payments on 8.57 billion yuan of bank loans on June 30, according to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing on Aug 29.

The shipyard of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd in Rugao, Jiangsu province. The company will generate HK$2.55 billion ($326.4 million) in a share sale in the next six months and HK$3.23 billion thereafter. Li Junfeng / China Daily

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Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Limited is pleased to announce the establishment of Rongsheng Offshore & Marine Private Limited (“Rongsheng Offshore & Marine”), the Group’s new offshore engineering base, in Singapore. The company will focus on research and development, marketing and “Engineering, Procurement and Construction” (“EPC”) projects in offshore engineering, drawing on Singapore’s superior industry advances and human resources. On the same day, Rongsheng Offshore & Marine also officially announces that it has secured an EPC contract for a 2,000-meter deepwater tender barge. With sound developments made in the high-end offshore equipment manufacturing field, the Group will seek to accelerate its all-round transformation into an offshore engineering service provider.

Rongsheng Offshore & Marine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries and registered in Singapore, is set to become a light asset, high technology and first class offshore engineering talent base. It will play an important role in the Group’s offshore engineering strategy; the sales team is positioned to help the Group to gain market share in the international offshore engineering market, and the operational team will help the Group to achieve greater breakthroughs by engaging in high-end operational activities such as research and development, EPC project management and international procurement.

Mr. Chen Qiang, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries, said: “The opening of Rongsheng Offshore & Marine marks an important milestone towards the Group’s goal to upgrade and transform into an offshore engineering service provider. Combined with the company’s new, innovative operating model and technological platform and Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries Company Limited’s (“Jiangsu Rongsheng”) strong manufacturing base, China Rongsheng Heavy Industries has gained access to the global market and can now make their presence felt in the high-end marine equipment manufacturing field. By improving efficiency and lowering cost through synergizing the Group’s various business areas, we are confident that we can build Rongsheng into a world-class offshore engineering brand.”

The tender barge, ordered by a Norwegian customer, is currently one of the largest of its kind in the world, complete with a high-tech, high value-added deepwater engineering apparatus that boasts a wide scope of applications and excellent cost performance. With a maximum working depth and drilling depth of 2,000 meters and 6,000 meters, respectively, it meets the global requirements of oil drilling operations in mild-temperature waters.

The project in question is an EPC project, covering Engineering, Procurement, Construction. Rongsheng Offshore & Marine is the general contractor, and Jiangsu Rongsheng is the manufacturer. China Rongsheng Heavy Industries is one of the few shipbuilders in China capable of undertaking an EPC project, and the winning of this tender highlights the technological and manufacturing strength of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries in the marine engineering field. It also demonstrates the recognition received by the Group in the international shipbuilding and offshore engineering industries.

Mr. Don Lee, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Rongsheng Offshore & Marine, has made great achievements in offshore engineering and commands a considerable reputation, having established extensive contacts and close cooperation with offshore rig owners and petroleum companies over the course of 40 years in the field. Prior to his appointment at Rongsheng, Mr. Lee served as an Senior General Manager at Sembcorp Marine’s subsidiary Jurong Shipyard, Senior Vice President of the Marketing of Sembcorp Marine,Director of Jurong Brazil, Director of Brazil Netherlands BV, and Director of PPL Shipyard.

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Frontline Ltd. (“Frontline”) announces that on 14th August 2006 it has sold its entire holding of 3,860,000 shares in General Maritime Corporation (“General Maritime”) for USD $40 per share. The shares were sold to World Wide Shipping. Frontline will record a gain of approximately USD $ 9.7 million in the third quarter as a result of this sale. Frontline has, during the holding period, also recorded dividend income on the same investment of approximately USD $13.3 million.

At the same time Frontline is pleased to announce that it intends to firmly declare four further newbuilding Suezmaxes orders from Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Co. Ltd. (“Rongsheng”) in China. The vessels which are 156,000 dead weight tons will be delivered in 2009. Two of these Suezmaxes will be offered as an investment to Frontline’s affiliated company, Ship Finance International Limited. The four Suezmax newbuildings are in addition to the two newbuildings already declared. Frontline is also in the process of discussing a further two fixed priced options for similar vessels. The payment terms and contract price are considered favourable to other alternative ways to renew and grow the Frontline Suezmax fleet.

The decision to sell the General Maritime investment and order the Suezmaxes included a comparison between the Rongsheng 2009 newbuildings and the implicit pricing of an existing General Maritime newbuilding. With a price differential of more than USD $20 million, the Frontline Board feels that significant discount is given for a later delivery.

The re-organisational cost of General Maritime and the large Aframax exposure further prevented Frontline from pursuing further action in the General Maritime investment. Frontline, as General Maritime’s largest shareholder, had a constructive dialogue with General Maritime regarding its investment.

The Board of Frontline hopes that the sale of the General Maritime investment to another industry player will still have a positive consolidation effect on the tanker market. The proceeds from the sale will be allocated to repayment of debt, equity financing of the Rongsheng investments as well as increased dividend capacity.

--FILE--Ships are being built at a shipyard of Rongsheng Heavy Industries in Nantong city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, 24 May 2012. China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd., the Chinese shipyard seeking financial assistance from the government, agreed to issue convertible bonds to a member of VMS Investment Group to raise capital. Estimated net proceeds from the sale to Action Phoenix Ltd. will be HK$1.38 billion (US$178 million), according to a company statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The initial conversion price is HK$1 a share, about 22 percent more than the closing price on Wednesday (31 July 2013), it said. Rongsheng, the countrys largest shipyard outside state control, said on July 5 it was seeking help from the government after a plunge in orders forced it to reduce production and restructure its workforce. Chinese shipmakers are struggling as a global vessel glut makes orders more difficult to win and pushes down prices.