Oil trader Gunvor has signed an $11.3m charter for two tankers from Sovcomflot (SCF Group) subsidiary Novoship amid a slight increase in rates for aframax period deals.
European shipbroking sources say Gunvor's Clearlake Shipping arm is taking two modern units on charters for up to two years.
The 109,000-dwt NS Captain (built 2006) and NS Columbus (built 2007) have been fixed for a year at $15,500 per day with an option for another 12 months.
The charter comes as Howe Robinson estimates this week that a one-year aframax charter is worth $15,750 per day, up 1.6% from last week's rate assessment by the UK shipbroker.
That puts period earnings well above spot rates, though the spot market often spikes in the winter.
Gunvor has been seeking to expand its tanker fleet and has brought in former ST Shipping boss Jan Andersen to help beef up Clearlake.
In its last reported charter, Clearlake fixed the 52,000-dwt tanker Maersk Cancun (built 2017) for a year at $14,750 per day.
In another aframax deal, Malyasia’s AET has achieved a strong $15,000 per day for the 105,000-dwt Eagle Austin (built 1999), which has been fixed to PBF Energy for a year.
AET declined to comment on the deal.
Trading house Vitol has also taken the 115,000-dwt Nissos Serifos (built 2012) for a year from Greek owner Kyklades Maritime Corp but the rate has not been disclosed.
In the VLCC segment, some European brokers say Minerva Marine of Greece has fixed out its 309,000-dwt tanker Pantariste (built 2002) to Azerbaijan's Socar for a year at an undisclosed rate. However, there are reports that the deal has failed, and a Minerva executive says the ship remains in the spot market and reports of the charter were not correct.
This article has been amended since publication to include information from Minerva Marine.
