Russian Oil Tanker Hit by Sanctions Heading to Malaysia
A Russian-flagged crude oil tanker targeted by U.S. sanctions is heading to Malaysia, shipping data showed on Monday, amid growing international scrutiny on businesses linked to Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.The Linda, named in a U.S. Treasury document detailing sanctions against Russia, was in the Indian Ocean and was expected to arrived at Sungai Linggi port on Malaysia's west coast on Sunday, according to data from ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com.It was not immediately clear whether or not authorities in Malaysia plan to allow the ship to dock. Its marine department and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.According to the United States…
Libya's NOC Lifts Force Majeure on Exports. First Tanker Loaded at Es Sider
Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) lifted force majeure on all oil exports on Friday as a first tanker loaded at Es Sider after a half-year blockade by eastern forces, but said technical problems caused by the shutdown would keep output low."The increase in production will take a long time due to the significant damage to reservoirs and infrastructure caused by the illegal blockade imposed on January 17," NOC said in a statement.A first cargo of 650,000 barrels will be shipped by the Kriti Bastion Aframax tanker, chartered by Vitol, which two sources at Es Sider port said had docked and started loading on Friday morning.The blockade…
Libya's NOC to Lift Force Majeure at Es Sider Oil Port
Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Wednesday that it is ready to lift force majeure at Es Sider oil port, allowing a tanker on standby to load crude from storage.The state oil company urged all Libyan parties to support it and called on what it described as "foreign mercenaries and armed groups" to leave the oil port immediately.The Delta Ocean Suezmax tanker arrived at the port on July 5 and has been waiting since then, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.The tanker was chartered by trader Unipec, according to a shipping and a trading source.
Euronav Sells 2005-Built VLCC for $38M
Tanker operator has sold its 2005-built Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) TI Hellas for $38.1 million.Euronav, based in Belgium, said Friday that a capital gain of around $1.6 million will be recorded in the current quarter from the sale of the VLCC:"The vessel will be delivered to her new owners at the end of May after completion of the current voyage. Euronav considers regular fleet rejuvenation an important function of vessel management in providing quality services to our clients…
Hyundai Heavy Sheds More Light on Tanker Order
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries has shared more details on its newly secured contract to build two crude oil carriers.The company had on Thursday issued a brief statement on the Korea Exchange sharing it had won contracts to build two tankers for a European client. The order value is 149,8 billion South Korean Won, or $122,2 million.In a subsequent release issued on Friday on its website, Hyundai Heavy said the orders were secured for two 158,000-ton crude carriers."This contract includes two option contracts…
Hyundai Heavy Bags $122M Order for Two Oil Carriers
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries has said it has won an order to build two crude oil carriers.In a brief statement on the Korea Exchange, Hyundai said the order was worth 149,8 billion South Korean Won, or $122,2 million.Hyundai Heavy Industries said it would build the two crude oil carriers for a European client. It did not provide further details on the client.The deliveries are to be made by mid-February 2022.
Shell in Talks to Book Tankers for Crude Floating Storage
Royal Dutch Shell is in discussions to charter at least three supertankers to store around 6 million barrels of crude oil at sea, shipping sources said on Wednesday.Shell has provisionally booked the vessels, known as very large crude carriers (VLCCs), for storage options for at least three months, the sources said, adding that the fixtures were still to be concluded.A Shell spokeswoman declined to comment.If fully fixed, these would be the first tankers to be used for floating…
Trafigura, Phillips 66 to Build Deepwater Texas Oil Port
Global commodities trader Trafigura said on Friday it had formed a joint venture with U.S. refiner Phillips 66 to build a major deepwater port in Texas capable of handling supertankers, ditching its own competing project.The Bluewater Texas Terminal, which will be located 21 nautical miles east of the entrance to Corpus Christi port, will consist of two single point mooring buoys that can load Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) capable of carrying around 2 million barrels of oil.Geneva…
OSG Acquires Alaska Tanker
Overseas Shipholding Group, the tanker company providing energy transportation services for crude oil and petroleum products in the U.S. Flag markets, has entered into agreements with BP Oil Shipping Company USA and BP AMI Leasing to purchase the crude oil carrier vessels operated by Alaska Tanker Company (ATC).OSG currently owns a 37.5% interest in ATC. As part of the above transaction, OSG will acquire the remaining 62.5% interest of ATC that it does not own.According to the publicly traded tanker company, the agreements provide for deposits equal to 20% of the purchase price to be paid upon their execution, with the balance of the consideration to be paid at closing.Closing of the purchases is subject to various conditions…
ABB Delivers for Icebreaking LNG Carrier Fleet
The final vessel in 15-ship series enters service for Yamal LNG project ahead of schedule.Yakov Gakkel, owned by joint venture between Teekay LNG Partners and China LNG Partners, joins a fleet of 15 specially designed tankers transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) year-round from one of Russia’s most significant export developments in a generation, Yamal LNG.Built in less than six years and to ARC7 ice class, fifteen 170,000m3 capacity vessels have opened the Northern Sea Route…
Enbridge, Enterprise to Develop GoM Crude Export Terminal
Enbridge Inc and Enterprise Products Partners LP on Monday signed an agreement to jointly develop a deepwater offshore crude oil export terminal in the Gulf of Mexico capable of loading Very Large Crude Carriers.Both pipeline operators will work to finalize an equity participation agreement that would provide Enbridge an option to purchase ownership interest in Enterprise's Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT), subject to SPOT receiving a deep-water port license, Enbridge said in a statement.The companies would first jointly develop the SPOT project, and depending on how the export market grows, would utilize Enbridge's Texas COLT deep-water port or a similar project."Enbridge and Enterprise Products are partners in the Seaway Pipeline system.
Bahri Profits Up in Q3
The owner and operator of very large crude carriers Bahri announced strong financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019, on the back of solid growth in the logistics services sector.The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia said that its net profits soared 80.52 percent to SAR 146.73 million (USD 39.12 million), from SAR 81.28 million in the corresponding quarter in 2018, primarily due to an increase in returns of several operating segments.Bahri’s revenues during the three-month period between July and September jumped 6.28 percent to SAR 1.48 billion, from SAR 1.39 billion reported in the same period last year.
Tankers Switch from Clean to Dirty as Rates Surge
A recent surge in tanker rates due to U.S.
VLCC with New SOx Scrubber Delivered
The very large crude oil carrier (VLCC) Tanzawa, the first new NYK-owned vessel to include an SOx scrubber, has been delivered into the NYK fleet. On October 3, a naming and delivery ceremony was held at the Kure shipyard of Japan Marine United Corporation, and attended by Akira Kono, NYK managing corporate officer, and other related parties.The new vessel is equipped with a scrubber that is compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) more stringent SOx emission regulation…
Gazprom Neft Ships 11 mln T of Arctic oil via NSR
Russia's Gazprom Neft is currently shipping around 11 million tonnes of oil per year (220,000 barrels per day) using the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and plans to increase this number, Chief Executive Alexander Dyukov told Rossiya-24 TV channel.He said that in total, Gazprom Neft is producing 18 million tonnes of oil per year in the Russia's Arctic area.
HHI Bags Order for 2 Crude Carriers
South Korea shipbuilding giant Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) group said that its unit Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries has won a deal to build two crude carriers.The shipbuilding deal worth KRW 158.7 billion (about USD 132.8 million) was signed with an undisclosed company from Oceania on September 23, 2019, HSHI said in a stock exchange filing.According to Yonhap, Hyundai Samho will build two 158,000-deadweight-ton (DWT) crude carriers by May 2021 for the unidentified Oceanian customer.Hyundai Samho, under Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, posted sales of 1.6 trillion won in the first half of the year, down 35 percent from a year earlier…
Sovcomflot Elects New Chairman and New CEO
On September 24, 2019, the Board of Directors of PAO Sovcomflot elected Sergey Frank as its new Chairman. Igor Tonkovidov was appointed as the company's new Chief Executive Officer. Both appointments are with immediate effect.The meeting was attended by Maxim Akimov, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who noted in his address: "Through consistent implementation of Sovcomflot's Strategies 2005-2011 and 2012-2018, the company has transformed itself into a global leader in energy shipping and offshore services. Over the past 15 years, Sovcomflot fleet has grown more than threefold.
Saudi Attacks, High Demand Leaves U.S. Short on Oil Tankers
A disruption in global oil flows following attacks on Saudi Arabian facilities has left U.S. crude exporters without enough tankers to cover rising demand for cargoes, traders and shipping sources said.Missile attacks last Saturday temporarily cut Saudi oil production by more than 5 million barrels per day, or about half the country's output.That set off a scramble for alternative cargoes of crude, particularly in the United States, which lined up available tankers sailing from the Mediterranean, West Africa and continental Europe to pick up cargoes.
Euronav to Store Low-Sulfur Oil
The crude oil tanker company Euronav has purchased a total of 420,000 metric tons of compliant fuel oil and marine gasoil so far, the company revealed as it detailed its IMO 2020 sulfur cap plans. In aggregate the purchase value of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) has been at $447 per metric ton compared to a bunker price (HFO-3.5% Sulfur content) of $400 per metric ton over the same procurement period.According to the Belgium shipping company, the oil is currently aboard a ultra large crude carrier (ULCC) Oceania, a vessel built in 2003, and will soon be on its way to Singapore. Euronav owns the only two operational ULCC vessels (3m barrel capacity): the Europe (2002 – 442,470 dwt) and the Oceania.