Belgian shipowner Transpetrol has locked two of its MR product tankers into three-year charters with a US oil major, according to European brokers.
The 50,383-dwt Luctor (built 2011) and the 50,000-dwt Endurance 4 (built 2020) were said to be fixed to ExxonMobil at about $17,000 per day.
TradeWinds understood that the fixture for the Endurance 4 — to be delivered to ExxonMobil from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) later this year — could have been done in February.
Transpetrol chief executive Michiel Rutten did not respond to requests for comments, while ExxonMobil declined to comment on the charters.
Clarksons Research assessed the three-year rates for a non-eco MR tanker at $16,375 per day and an eco one at $17,375 per day as of last Friday.
Three-year charter deals have been rare in recent months as oil and tanker markets experience strong volatility during the coronavirus pandemic.
In March, Luctor completed a one-year charter to BP at $14,200 per day.
Time charter-orientated Transpetrol has six MRs, one LR2, three aframaxes and three VLGCs.
The privately owned company has been renewing its MR fleet with newbuildings from affiliates of Hyundai Heavy Industries, TradeWinds reported.
Aside from the Endurance 4, Transpetrol will take delivery of an MR from HMD later in 2020.
In 2018, the company acquired two 49,999-dwt vessels under construction at Hyundai Vinashin Shipbuilding from DSD Shipping for $34m each.
One of them — the Resolve 2 (built 2019) — was fixed by BP for two years at $17,250 per day. Sistership Endeavour 2 (built 2020) was chartered by Trafigura for 28 months at the same rate.
According to Transpetrol, both ships are certified with the Tier III NOx emissions standard.
“As we have recently been reminded, global events are hard to predict, but we believe that the updated fleet profile is better equipped to satisfy customer demands and expectations,” the company said in February.
