Charterers are taking longer-term tonnage cover on more expensive deals in the product carrier sector ahead of an expected winter upturn in freight rates.
Brokers reported Singapore giant Hafnia’s 50,000-dwt MR tanker Hafnia Puma (built 2013) fixed out for two years at a strong $30,000 per day to Petronas in Malaysia.
This is worth $21.9m over the full term.
Hafnia, led by chief executive Mikael Skov, said it does not comment on the identity of charter parties.
Owners such as Ardmore Shipping and d’Amico International Shipping (DIS) have said the next few months are looking stronger for the clean tanker sector.
DIS itself has fixed out two ships on two-year deals in the past couple of months, at what it said were “very profitable” rates.
A deal of between 15 and 20 months was also reported for the 49,000-dwt MR ship CL Toni Morrison (built 2024) at $29,750 per day.
The charterer was said to be Norstar.
The ship is a relet from trader Glencore’s ST Shipping division.
The tanker was reported taken by ST at $27,000 per day over three years in January this year.
The vessel is owned by China Development Bank Financial Leasing and operated by China’s Shandong Shipping.
Rates rising again?
A week ago, shipbroker BRS Group assessed one-year charters for pre-2015 non-eco MRs at just $23,000 per day.
A two-year term should theoretically be at a lower rate than a shorter deal.
Eco ships were quoted at $26,000 per day for a one-year fix, while three-year contracts were put at $24,500 per day.
On Monday, BRS said the trend for these charters was down, with a three-year eco-ship charter assessed at $22,000.
MR spot rates in the Atlantic basin were $65,300 per day on Monday, down 16% in a week.
In September, US-listed Scorpio Tankers clinched what TradeWinds was told was a record charter rate for an MR ship.
The Emanuele Lauro-led company announced the fixture of the 50,000-dwt STI Jardins (built 2018) for three years at $29,950 per day.
This equated to $32.8m over the full period and was believed to be the best-ever such rate for a non-scrubber eco MR, market sources said.
