Danish tanker operator Maersk Tankers has dipped into the sale & purchase market for seven more MR1 product tankers
Maersk Tankers has purchased seven MR1 tankers en bloc from AET. No price was announced by the Danish tanker giant but VesselsValue estimates the value of the fleet at US$93.5M.
All seven vessels are between nine and 10 years old, with three now due for special survey. All the tankers were constructed by STX Offshore in South Korea. The homogeneous nature of the AET purchases was given by Maersk Tankers as one of the reasons for the acquisition.
Maersk Tankers’ chief asset officer Soren C Meyer said “In line with our strategic goal of developing a dynamic fleet and our belief in the tanker market, this acquisition will enhance our position in the market.”
From a commercial viewpoint, the addition of the vessels will help Maersk Tankers’ Handy pool sustain its strong commercial position and drive market outperformance. “We believe the acquisition will enable the pool to maintain and expand our current good customer relationships thus enabling increased access to cargoes. The specific design and age profile of the vessels fits very well into our Digital Active Position Taking efforts, as they can be deployed in any market, any grade and to any customer,” said Maersk Tankers’ head of chartering, intermediate & handy Hans Ulrik Norgaard.
The company has taken delivery of the first vessel today, 2009-built 37,961 dwt, 44,000 m3 chemical tanker Bunga Akasia, which was renamed Hans Maersk. The remaining vessels (see below) are expected to be delivered over the coming months.
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