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Omega to Buy Tankers from STX

Omega Navigation Enterprises, a Greek shipowner whose shares trade in New York and Singapore, plans to buy two tankers that carry refined oil products from South Korea's STX Shipbuilding Co for US$64.5 million each. The Omega Emmanuel and the Omega Theodore, which have a capacity of 73,000 deadweight tons each, are so-called ice-class ships that are capable of navigating icy waters, the company said. The ships are due for delivery on March 23 and April 26. Omega also has options to buy two ships for delivery in the third quarter. An expected increase in shipments of refined oil products from the Middle East to Europe, Asia and the US may support demand for product tankers, EA Gibson Shipbrokers said in a recent report. Omega will pay $60m per vessel using cash and borrowing, with the balance funded by warrants. Source: Bloomberg

Excel Buys Two Vessels

According to reports, Excel Maritime said it plans to buy two Supramax bulk carriers for $126m, or $63m per vessel. The first vessel has a capacity of 55,567 deadweight tons and was built at Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan. The second vessel has a capacity of more than 53,206 deadweight tons and was built by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Both ships were built in 2005. Both vessels will be delivered to Excel Maritime in the fourth quarter

NLNG Buys Two Gas Vessels

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) purchased two vessels owned by Duke Energy to transport gas from the Bonny LNG plant. The company said it had long-term chartered the ships in 1995 for 22.5 years with provisions for an extension or outright purchase within the period 2001 and 2006. The company is exercising the right to buy the vessels outright one year ahead of schedule. The $3.8 billion Bonny plant in southeast Nigeria began LNG production in October.

Seaspan Buys Two Ships

Seaspan Corporation announced that it has agreed to purchase two new building vessels from affiliates of Conti Holding GmbH & Co. KG of Germany, increasing Seaspan’s total fleet to 25 vessels. Seaspan will acquire the two 3,500 TEU vessels upon their delivery in February and July 2007 respectively from Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in China. The total delivered cost is expected to be approximately $50 million per vessel, subject to certain pre-delivery expenses remaining at budgeted levels

OSG Buys Two U.S. Flag Tankers

Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. has purchased and taken delivery of two 50,000-deadweight ton U.S. Flag product tankers from Attransco, Inc. The two double bottom vessels, the S/R Galena Bay and the S/R Puget Sound, were built in 1982 and 1983, respectively, and currently are on bareboat charter to SeaRiver Maritime, Inc., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. "This acquisition demonstrates OSG's commitment to expand its U.S. Flag

Sumatec Buys Two Tankers

Sumatec Resources Bhd has ordered two units of 8,000 dwt double-hull product oil tanker from a Chinese shipyard for $11.6 million each. In a statement to Bursa Malaysia on May 22, Sumatec said it had entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with Yangzhou Kejin Shipyard Co Ltd and Jiangsu Guotai International Group Textile Imp & Exp Co Ltd for the purchase of the tankers to serve contracts from oil majors. The first tanker would be delivered by Dec 15, 2007 and the second would in March 2008

AP Moeller Shares Fly High In '99

Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moeller shares surged 95 percent in 1999, bolstered by a 150 percent rise in crude oil prices and improved freight rates, and analysts predict solid profits in 2000 along with more takeovers. Earnings per share (EPS) for D/S 1912 is expected to climb to 2,762 crowns this year and rise a further 24 percent to 3,424 crowns next year, with D/S Svendborg seen reaching 3,880 crowns in the current fiscal year and 4,917 crowns in 2000.

Ships to Ease Overcrowding for British Prisons

The British government is in talks to buy two prison ships to ease the current wave of overcrowding, according to the BBC. An RAF camp is also being considered as one of a number of options to temporarily ease the pressure. The Home Office has already sent out advice to courts to only jail dangerous and persistent offenders to help ease the situation in England and Wales. Prison numbers are currently hovering near the 80,000 mark with just 2,000 new places due by the end of the year

Bergesen Profits Expected To Be Lower

Pre-tax profits at Bergesen d.y. Group ASA, Norway's largest shipping company, are expected to more than halve to 322 million crowns in nine months to September 30, a Reuters poll showed last week. In the same period in 1998, Bergesen booked profits before taxes of 783 million crowns. The survey of eight Norwegian analysts includes unrealized losses in the first half on foreign exchange transactions of 81 million crowns, but does not provide for additional losses or gains in the third quarter

Fleet Privatizations Expected Soon For Lithuanian Companies

Following are financial details of a planned fleet privatization in Lithuania. JSC Klaipeda Transport Fleet (KTF) is one of the largest Lithuanian shipping companies, whose principal activities are transportation of refrigerated cargo by sea and lease of sea transport vessels. The authorized capital of the company as of December 31, 2001 amounted to about $38.3 million. KTF owns and operates 16 small- and medium-sized cargo reefers