NAT Buys Secondhand Suezmax Tanker

Shipowner Nordic American Tankers (NAT) on Thursday said it has entered an agreement to purchase a secondhand suezmax tanker.

The South Korean built vessel has been "operated and well maintained by a top shipowner the last 6 to 7 years", Herbjorn Hansson, NAT founder, chairman and CEO, wrote in a letter to shareholders and investors.

"The vessel is purchased on a charter free basis and we intend to finance the purchase with a sale leaseback financing – an arrangement that has worked very well for us in the past," NAT said. The company did not reveal the name of the vessel or the seller.

NAT said it expects the vessel will enter its fleet within the current quarter, expanding its suezmax fleet to 20.

The company, citing "a strong market" for its ships, said it expects the vessel to "generate positive cashflow and be a dividend contributor from day one".