Malaysia’s Lianson Fleet Group Berhad (LFG) has entered the offshore heavy-lift market with the acquisition of a crane vessel equipped with a 4,000-tonne main crane and Dynamic Positioning Class 2 (DP2) capability.
The vessel was acquired on 28 October 2026 by Icon Samudera (L) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of LFG, from an unrelated third-party seller incorporated in Panama. In a Bursa Malaysia filing dated 30 October, the group confirmed that the vessel would be renamed LFG Hercules.
Built in China in 2024, the offshore heavy-lift vessel has a deadweight tonnage of 30,087 tonnes. It measures 200.8 metres in length, 48 metres in breadth and 16 metres in depth, with accommodation for up to 160 people.
The vessel’s main crane has a rated lifting capacity of 4,000 tonnes, while its DP2 system provides dynamic positioning capability for offshore operations. LFG plans to register LFG Hercules under the Malaysian flag at Port Klang.
The acquisition marks LFG’s first investment in an offshore heavy-lift vessel, adding high-capacity lifting capability to its existing offshore support and marine transportation operations.
According to The Edge Malaysia’s report on 30 October, LFG owned and operated 12 offshore support vessels and 41 marine transportation assets at the time of the announcement. The newly acquired vessel represents a different category of offshore equipment within the group’s fleet.
LFG expects the vessel to expand its ability to pursue offshore chartering and installation projects in Malaysia and neighbouring markets, particularly assignments requiring specialised lifting capacity and dynamic positioning.
The group identified offshore oil and gas decommissioning as one potential market for the vessel. With ageing offshore production infrastructure across Southeast Asia, LFG expects opportunities for heavy-lift vessels in the removal and dismantling of offshore structures.
Offshore renewable energy is another market under consideration. The company said the vessel’s lifting capability could support its participation in offshore wind turbine installation and related marine construction projects.
These activities represent prospective chartering and project opportunities. Neither the acquisition announcement nor the reviewed reports identified a confirmed offshore decommissioning or wind installation contract for LFG Hercules.
LFG also cited the limited regional availability of comparable offshore heavy-lift assets as a factor in its assessment of the vessel’s commercial prospects.
The group expects charter income from LFG Hercules to contribute positively to its financial results for the year ending 31 December 2026 and subsequent years. This remains a company forecast rather than confirmed charter revenue.
