A 104,000-ton oil tanker built by the Dung Quat Shipbuilding Co (DQS) has recently been returned shortly after it was handed over to the investor due to some disagreements between the two parties, a representative of the shipbuilder told Tuoi Tre. The newly-built Dung Quat 1 oil tanker was on Thursday forced to be transported back to DQS, a subsidiary of the state-run oil and gas group PetroVietnam (PVN), by the investor PV Trans, who said the ship’s quality and safety are not ensured. The ship was transferred to DQS from the debt-ridden Vinashin in 2010 at US$28 million, said DQS chairman Nguyen Van Hoi. The Quang Ngai-based shipbuilder later inked a $25 million contract with PV Trans to complete the ship, and has completed ship registry in Vietnam as well as acquired the certificate from the US-based ABS international registry, he said. The certificate means the ship is qualified for traveling in domestic and international routes between Vietnam and the US, he elaborated. But the problem began when PV Trans sought to inspect the ship quality through their own initiatives, he added. “In August the investor hired the Singapore’s VMS consultant agency to examine the ship, and the company said four additional parts should be added to optimize the tanker operation,” he explained. Hoi said the request is quite unreasonable as “when the ship is recognized by the US registry authorities, it’s OK for it to travel on international routes.” But DQS also accepted to negotiate with PV Trans on the additional deal, which is expected to cost some $4 million. “But we have yet to reach any agreements, while [PVN] forced us to finish their request before the money issue is settled,” he said. Hoi insisted that the Dung Quat 01 ship has been operating well, and the additional contract will soon be completed once the investor clears the payment.