Mercator Lines Limited News

Singapore’s dry bulk shipping company Mercator Lines Limited has has entered into Memoranda of Agreements to sell five bulk carriers, the company’s judicial manager said. The judicial manager appointed to oversee the bankruptcy of Mercator Lines (Singapore) has announced five ships of the listed dry bulk subsidiary of the Indian owner are to be sold to lenders for $32.3m. The vessels are M.V. Sri Prem Veena, M.V. Garima Prem, M.V. Garv Prem, M.V. Gaurav Prem and M.V. Aarti Prem which are secured to the syndicate lenders. The bulkers are expected to be delivered to their new undisclosed owners by February 2016. The sale comes in the wake of Mercator Line’s decision to exit dry bulk businesses as part of its restructuring endeavors.

For the half year period ended 30th September, 2011, Mercator Lines Ltd. registered 25% growth in Total Income which stood at Rs.1584 crores (Rs.1268 crores). The Consolidated Net Profit for the period stood at Rs.21.41 crores (Rs.113.22 crores). During the period, the Coal Division contributed 58% revenue while Dry Bulk contributed 22%; Tanker 10%; Dredging 5% and Offshore Division 5%. The coal volumes are expected to further improve in the coming quarters. The recent coal mine acquired in Indonesia would commence commercial operations in the last quarter of FY12. The Oil and Gas Division has successfully commissioned FPU unit in Nigeria and the operations are doing well as per schedule. Exploration activities of two onshore oil blocks in Gujarat are on schedule.

Heidmar Inc. announced that Mercator Lines Limited of India China Shipping Development and Conti Reederei of Germany will be joining the Sigma Tankers pool and that Emirates Trading Agency of Dubai an existing member of both Sigma and the Heidmar managed Dorado Tankers pool, will be entering two more vessels into Sigma Tankers. Mercator and China Shipping, also members of the Dorado Tankers pool, will enter one vessel each into Sigma Tankers. Conti will take delivery of two coated LR2 tankers from Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2009. These two vessels have been fixed on time charters and will be entered into Sigma Tankers at the end of these charters. Sigma Tankers recently entered the clean LR2 trade with the delivery of two newbuildings in July and September.