US pools player Penfield Marine is continuing to expand its fleet despite reports that the company has been sold to Maersk Tankers.
The Connecticut operator has revealed two new recruits to its aframax pool.
Greece’s Performance Shipping has committed the 105,300-dwt P Aliki (built 2010), its second aframax under the control of Penfield Tankers.
But a third vessel, the 116,000-dwt P Kikuma (built 2007), no longer appears on the Penfield fleet list, after it was sold for $39.3m in November, with delivery set for this month.
Meanwhile, India’s Great Eastern Shipping has added the 105,600-dwt Jag Lokesh (built 2009) to the aframax pool.
This is also its second aframax operated by Penfield.
The deals follow numerous new recruits earlier this year.
In the summer, Greece’s Chartworld Shipping added a 2008-built panamax tanker and a 2021-built aframax, while Belgian owner Transpetrol Maritime Services handed over two aframaxes.
Idan Ofer’s Eastern Pacific Shipping contributed a suezmax, while Hong Kong’s Wah Kwong rejoined the aframax pool with the 111,900-dwt Unity Venture (built 2017).
TradeWinds reported in November that several market sources said the Penfield operation had been acquired by Maersk Tankers.
Seeking a buyer
A deal, if confirmed, would bring the fast-growing US commercial operator into one of the largest tanker fleets in the world.
Penfield has not commented.
Sources in the ship finance and tanker markets had been aware for some time that Penfield has been seeking a buyer for the privately owned operation.
The company is said to have engaged an investment banker at one point in the process.
Penfield is led by former Heidmar executives Tim Brennan and Eric Haughn, dating back to the days when the pools were run by founder Per Heidenreich.
Years later, Heidenreich joined the Penfield board as chairman and was also a minority investor.
