Tsakos Energy Navigation has confirmed the sale of an aframax tanker that has emerged in the hands of a low-profile ship manager registered in Azerbaijan.
The developments come after TradeWinds reported that New York Stock Exchange-listed TEN had sold the 105,400-dwt Izumo Princess (built 2007) to undisclosed buyers for $37.2m.
TEN did not name the buyer, but data from IHS Global shows that the crude tanker has now been renamed Thorin and is one of two vessels in the fleet of Azeri-registered Marine Guardian Shipmanagement.
The Thorin’s new owner is Noble Sphere Corp, a one-ship company registered in the Seychelles.
Contact details for Marine Guardian could not be located.
The company also is the manager of the 105,000-dwt Lebre (built 2004), an aframax that is owned by Seychelles-registered My Fallen.
The ship was named Isabella until it came into My Fallen’s control at the start of this month, after spending the last 20 years in the fleet of Greece’s Thenamaris.
Valuation platform VesselsValue shows that Thenamaris was reported to have sold the vessel in February for an undisclosed price.
Renewal efforts
For Greece’s TEN, the vessel represents the 10th older tanker to leave the fleet since early last year as part of a fleet renewal effort.
“Following the sale of nine tankers over the last 12 months with an average age of 18.5 years, this subsequent 10th transaction underscores TEN’s commitment to divest from its first-generation assets and enhance its ‘green’ footprint through the acquisition and building of state-of-the-art eco-vessels to meet the transportation needs of our blue-chip clientele,” TEN president and chief operating officer George Saroglou said in an announcement confirming the sale.
“Looking ahead, we have renewed our fleet with 16 acquisitions averaging 1.2 years, while maintaining our long-standing policy of providing our customers with the best vessels for their needs.”
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