Koch Industries has chartered a VLCC newbuilding from CSIC Leasing in a deal which adds to questions over the sale of a tanker by Arne Fredly’s Hunter Group.
Koch has fixed a 308,000-dwt tanker under construction at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC) on a long-team deal from delivery in early 2020, tanker market sources said.
The contract forms part of a larger package of charters covering 13 vessels that were disclosed by CSIC Leasing in a signing ceremony in Beijing at the end of June.
While details of the contract for the vessel owned by the leasing arm of China Shipbuilding Industry Co have yet to emerge, it again placed the transaction of a Hunter VLCC in the spotlight.
Hunter announced this summer it was in the process of selling two of its eight VLCCs under construction at DSME for an eye-catching $98m each.
SK Shipping was known in the market to be the buyer of both ships and closed a transaction on the first vessel in June after signing a potential five-year charter with Trafigura.
The contract, for three firm years with options for two more, was priced at $38,000 per day, TradeWinds reported at the time.
SK Shipping was also believed to be in talks with Koch for a contract on the second Hunter ship, which was said to remain on subjects.
Sources suggested in recent days that SK Shipping and Koch have failed to reach a deal for the tanker, leading to speculation the second Hunter VLCC will no longer be purchased.
Hunter’s last update on the matter came in mid-June. In confirming the sale of the first tanker, it said it remained in “advanced discussions regarding the sale of a second vessel”.
Erik Frydendal, chief executive of Hunter, said on Tuesday that any new information would be announced to the Oslo Stock Exchange.
“If we have anything to report, we will report it,” he said. “If we have anything to tell the market, we will make sure the market is well informed.”
Officials at SK Shipping and Koch did not respond to requests for comment.
The Hunter tankers have been the focus of attention since the ongoing transaction was revealed in late May at what was the highest price seen for a VLCC resale in half a decade.
Talk in the market had questioned if the first of the two tankers to SK Shipping would be concluded, but on that occasion Hunter soon confirmed the sale had closed.
