VLCC newbuilding prices are estimated to have increased 5% in the last three months, although very few contracts are being placed
Week 6, 2022 saw no new tanker newbuilding contracts placed and according to VesselsValue, no newbuilding contracts have been placed at a shipyard for tankers over 100,000 dwt since 1 November 2021.
In the smaller sectors, CRS reported that only three crude oil tanker contracts have been placed in 2022. Year-on-year, this is an 85% fall in contracting.
In the product tanker sector, the rate of newbuilding contracting has been also weak, with just three new contracts in 2022, a fall of 70% year-on-year.
Despite the paucity of orders, VLCC newbuilding prices have now reached US$115M, according to Clarkson Research Services (CRS), a rise of 5% over the last three months.
On the sale and purchase side, three tankers were reported to have changed hands last week.
The largest was 2007-built Aframax tanker Taurus Sun, which was sold by UK-based Zodiac Shipping for a reported US$17M with a special survey due.
The slightly younger 2010-built 54,886-dwt chemical and product tanker Alpine Maya was sold by US-based International Seaways for a reported US$16M to Betonix, a concrete contractor in Mauritius.
A common connection between the two vessels is that they were both previously part of the Cido Shipping fleet.
The third sale was 2017-built 12,000-dwt Ocean Goby, which has been sold by the Xihe Group to Singapore-based Pioneer Logistics. This company has purchased several former Xihe Group tankers from banks or at auction.
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