Tanker Charter Rates

NOL Expects It To Be A Profitable Year

Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. (NOL) expects a better second half and overall profit in the current year. NOL said the bottoming out of the Asian economic crisis had resulted in higher cargo volumes in most sectors. Freight rates out of Asia to Europe and North America had also increased since mid-year, it said in comments accompanying its result. NOL reported last Wednesday an interim net profit, the first time in two years, but results were disappointing as gains came mostly from non-recurring items. The national shipping giant reported a net profit of S$10.02 million for the six months ended June 30, 1999 against a net loss of S$240.76 million a year earlier. As expected, NOL reaped a net profit of S$285 million from the sale of its non-core North American stacktrain business unit, APL Land Transport Services Inc. in May. Container shipping operations accounted for 72 percent, chartering six percent, logistics eight percent and other investments, namely its stacktrain unit which it sold, 14 percent, NOL's director of corporate finance Cedric Foo said. Foo said the core container transportation activity achieved a 16 percent rise in liftings but overall container freight rates were flat for first half 1999. "The financial turnaround has began but I am not satisfied because afterall, we are talking about a net loss before non-recurring items," Flemming Jacobs, NOL's chief executive officer said.

Omega Navigation Takes Delivery of Tanker

Omega Navigation Enterprises, Inc. (has taken delivery of its second Panamax (LR1) double hull product tanker, the Everhard Schulte, to be renamed the Omega King. The Omega King is a Panamax (LR1) double hull product tanker of 74,999 deadweight tons (dwt), built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea in 2004. The acquisition was funded by in part from the net proceeds of the Company's initial public offering and debt under a senior secured credit facility provided by HSH-Nordbank AG.

Transatlantic Clean Tanker Rates Skyrocket

Clean oil tanker markets heated up, with transatlantic rates going through the roof and Mediterranean and Mideast rates also strong, brokers said. Price differentials and the U.S. cold snap have slammed gasoline shipping prices into the W200 region, from a previous W150 for 33,000 tons, brokers said. Brokers warned that the high volumes of fixing at sky-rocketing rates would inevitably lead to a number of charters failing to be concluded in all regions

Stelmar Announces Time Charter Contract

Stelmar Shipping Ltd. announced that it has renewed the Rimar, a 1998 double hull product tanker, on a six-month time charter contract for $13,500 per day. Peter R. Goodfellow, Chief Executive Officer and President commented, "In 2002, we have signed or renewed profitable time contracts for all seven tankers that have come off contract. We have also been able to sign new profitable time charter contracts for another two tankers that had been operating in the spot market

NOL Reports Half Profit of $1M

The tough economic situation and business environment has not prevented Neptune Orient Line from first half profits, as the company announced $11 million profits (albeit down 78 percent from 1H 2000 profits) on revenues of $2.3 billion (up 6 percent from 1H 2000 revenues.) In summarizing his company's results, Flemming R. Jacobs, NOL Group president and CEO, said "We have achieved much. We came from a difficult past and we are on the right track to return to full health

Omega Navigation Q2 2009 Results

Omega Navigation Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONAV) (SGX: ONAV50), a provider of global marine transportation services focusing on product tankers, announced its financial and operational results for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. For the quarter ended June 30, 2009, Omega Navigation reported total revenues of $16.7 million and Net Income of $3.4 million, or $0.23 per basic share, excluding a loss related to the termination of a purchase agreement

Exxon Tightens Tanker Chartering Rules

Exxon-Mobil has toughened its policy on using tankers more than 20 years old, shipbrokers said. The company has adopted a policy of accepting vessels more than 20 years old only on a case-by case basis after senior chartering managers' approval. The move mirrors several oil companies' increasing reluctance to charter older tankers in the wake of the break up of the fuel oil tanker Erika in December. Heavy pollution of French beaches resulted from the sinking.

Rates Steady On Tightening Tonnage Levels

Charter rates for crude tankers in the key Middle East market steadied at the beginning of last week after rising over the last few days on tightening tonnage levels. Shipbrokers said the rates, which had moved higher on the back of tightening tonnage supply coupled with a good supply of cargoes, could show further gains next week. VLCCs heading to Japan were pegged in the mid W50s with Singapore and South Korea discharges a couple of points lower. Brokers E.A

Spot Rates Rise

Average July 2001 tanker spot freight rates slightly up from June The average spot freight rates (time charter equivalent rate) for VLCCs (trading AG-Japan) went up to USD 21,624 per day for a modern vessel; this is up 12.7% from the average of June 2001. The corresponding rate for a modern Suezmax trading West Africa to US went up to USD 30,125 per day or up 28.7%. For a modern Aframax tanker trading North Sea to UK/Cont. the average rate for July 2001 was USD 29,511, up 67

Stelmar Announces Charters For Newbuildings

Stelmar Shipping Ltd. has announced that it has signed two year time charter contracts for two double-hull Panamax newbuildings expected to be delivered in late 2003 and early 2004. The two Panamax tankers, which were signed at profitable rates, are part of the Stelmar's 2003 and 2004 newbuilding program for five Panamax tankers. The newbuilding program will make Stelmar the largest owner of modern Panamax tankers and position the Company for future growth in 2004 and 2005