John Fredriksen's Seatankers Management has made a surprise move by locking one of its new newcastlemax bulkers into a one-year charter with Koch Industries.
The Norwegian shipping magnate is known to favour spot employment, but Seatankers has fixed out the 208,000-dwt Golden Coral (built 2019) for about $20,000 per day. This implies the deal will not be highly profitable, as the newbuildings are fitted with scrubbers.
The shipowner ordered 10 newcastlemax newbuildings at the end of 2017 for about $44.5m each. Today, each vessel is estimated to be worth $12m to $13m more.
Seatankers director Marius Hermansen confirmed the Golden Coral charter. "We will fix out more of them if that makes sense, if not, they will be employed in our pool," he added.
European sources said an Italian broker had conducted the deal.
Seatankers has taken delivery of two of the 10 newcastlemaxes. Three are slated for delivery in January, with the rest arriving by the end of next year.
The ships are under construction at China's Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry and New Times Shipbuilding.
