N2Tankers is expanding its fledgling aframax pool with the addition of a ship from Singapore shipowner Pusaka Laut.
The Amsterdam and Singapore-run pool manager has taken in the 108,000-dwt Pusaka Borneo (built 2018) in a move that lifts its fleet to 15 vessels.
The vessel joins N2Tankers after redelivery this month from a previous time charter with Teekay of Canada.
The ship is the second placed into the pool by Pusaka Laut after the 104,000-dwt Nanyang Star (built 2012) joined.
The Pusaka Borneo expands the N2Tankers fleet to 15 high-spec vessels, although other owners are invited to join the pool, the pool operator said in a statement.
“This growth marks an important step for the strategic positioning across the relevant trading regions, and follows N2Tankers strong commercial performance in the past year,” the company said.
Gradual growth
N2Tankers was formed in October 2018 by Reederei Nord and Nissen Kaiun to initially oversee a modern fleet of 13 Japanese-built crude aframax tankers of between 104,000 dwt and 116,000 dwt.
Nord, which manages vessels on behalf of the Oldendorff famly, entered seven of its own crude aframax tankers into the pool, including five which were previously in Heidmar’s Sigma Tankers pool.
Katsuyo Abe-led Nissen, which is one of the largest private shipowning companies in Japan, contributed six vessels that are commercially and technically managed by Rajesh Unni-led Synergy Marine Group.
That included the 108,000-dwt newbuildings Southern Leader and Southern Glory (built 2019), which were delivered to Nissen Kauin from Tsuneishi Shipyard.
N2Tankers was established after Nord pulled its crude aframaxes from the Sigma pool in 2017 in order to establish its own management unit.
The pool manager has previously expressed an interest in growing the operation to between 20 and 30 vessels.
Nord operates vessels in pools in several shipping sectors, including a handful of product tankers which are operated with Straits Tankers in Singapore.
It containerships are managed by Hanseatic Unity Chartering (HUC), which has around 250 dry ships under commercial management.
In the dry bulk sector, it operates a the Handysize Unity Handysize Pool together with Peter Dohle Schiffahrts.
