The Saragol Tankers cooperation with Sonangol and two groups of investors led by Clarksons Platou Project Finance is poised to come to an an end, TradeWinds has learned.
The Angolan oil company had two tankers fixed on long-term charter to two different Norwegian firms.
Some brokers claim that one of the firms, Saragol Tankers 2 AS, has already sold the 113,000-dwt Mucua (built 2008) to an undisclosed buyer for $20.1m.
VesselsValue estimates a ship of the New Times Shipbuilding-constructed Mucua's characteristics is worth $21.5m.
Sale documents
The one-ship company purchased the Mucua for $54.3m in 2010.
The vessel was fixed for five years to Sonangol and extended for five more years at $17,500 per day in 2015.
Christian Wessel Svensson, a director of Clarksons Platou Project Finance who set up the companies and acts as a managing owner, said he has heard about a sale of the Mucua.
“But we need to see documentation on this," he said. "I expect further clarification on this in some days.”
He added that Sonangol had performed satisfactorily on the charters, albeit sometimes paying late.
We need to see documentation on this. I expect further clarification on this in some days
Christian Wessel Svensson
The other tanker, controlled by Saragol Tankers 1 AS, is the 73,000-dwt Loengo (built 2007). Brokers also expect this ship to be sold eventually.
Sale-and-purchase player
Sonangol is not an active player in the secondhand sale-and-purchase market. In 2017, it sold the 46,000-dwt tanker Imbondeiro (built 1998) to Wilmar Ship Holdings of Singapore for $5m.
The Angolan company has a diversified tanker fleet and has invested substantially in the suezmax segment.
It has a fleet of 12 units trading in the Stena Sonangol pool and five floating production, storage and offloading vessels.
Last month, Sonangol took delivery of the second of its two $400m drillships from DSME. The two units were ordered in 2013.
