Two major trading houses have reportedly fixed scrubber-fitted newbuilding tankers for up to a year amid increased appetite for longer charters.
The vessels, all due this month, are expected to enjoy large fuel savings and can be used to transport or store refined products during their maiden voyages.
Trafigura took the 157,000-dwt suezmax Kanaris 21 (built 2021) — being launched by Samsung Heavy Industries — for six to 12 months, brokers said.
Of the six firm months, the charterer will pay shipowner Enesel $16,000 per day for the first three and $18,000 for the rest. The daily rate for the optional months is $24,000.
Trafigura declined to comment on the reported fixture. TradeWinds has approached Enesel for comments.
The trader separately chartered the Sumitomo-built, 112,000-dwt aframax Ebn Hawkel (built 2021) from General National Maritime Transport for six months at $16,750 per day, TradeWinds reported earlier.
The deal is attached with a six-month option at $17,250 per day.
Also, ST Shipping & Transport is said to fix the 110,000-dwt LR2 Atlantic Blue (built 2021) from Eastern Pacific Shipping for six to 12 months.
Brokers said the Glencore subsidiary will pay $15,000 per day for the first two months and $19,500 for the following four months. The charter can be extended by six months at $25,000 per day.
The ship is the first of four LR2s Eastern Pacific ordered from New Times Shipbuilding to complement its aframax and MR tanker fleets.
Glencore and Eastern Pacific declined to comment. But a source close to the shipowner said one of the LR2s was chartered to ST Shipping and two to Clearlake Shipping.
Low rates for good ships
The three ships are all installed with scrubber systems and can consume the cheaper high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO).
The average discount of HSFO to very low-sulphur fuel oil in 20 key bunkering hubs has widened to nearly $100 per tonne from $50 in October, according to Ship & Bunker data.
Brokers speculate the vessels might be used to ship or store refined products, given renewed signs of oil demand weakness due to fresh coronavirus outbreaks in major economies.
But period rates for tankers generally remain low this year due to tonnage oversupply despite interest in fixing quality tonnage on longer charters.
“Charterers are opting for scrubber-fitted tonnage simply because they can cherry-pick,” brokerage Alibra Shipping director Giuseppe Rosano said.
The staggered rate structures plus optionality reflects expectation for a future market recovery, a London-based broker said.
“Charterers fix a lower rate for the first few months of the deals … [But they] concede to a higher rate for the latter months,” he added.
