LNG

April 13 (LNGJ) - Sovcomflot (SCF), the Russian owner or operator of 155 vessels including ice-class LNG carriers, said its earnings outlook was favourable because of its expected share of shipping services for major new Russian and international projects, "connected with the offshore production of hydrocarbons and the transportation of LNG." SCF said it was entering a phase of "new high-tech market segments involved with the development of Arctic oil and gas projects on the Continental shelf." That's as annual net profit fell to$53.7 million compared with $164.3M the previous year because of the slump in the shipping market, apart from its LNG carriers. The fleet of eight gas carriers "performed well compared with the group's other operations, reflecting the more positive dynamics of the global LNG market," SCF said.