VLCC Rates Hit Highs
Middle East to Asia bound very large crude carrier (VLCC) rates have hit to a new record high beyond the psychological barrier of W200, brokers said on Tuesday. Indonesian oil major Pertamina paid W205 to fix the C Navigator for a 245,000 ton cargo going East at the end of November, but that peak was above the current market, brokers said. "Remember this is a small cargo, so the rate is higher than the usual VLCC rate," said one Oslo-based tanker broker. "The ship's next cargo will be 265,000 ton, and for that it has fixed at W188. The rate for 270,000 tonrs from the AG to South Korea is still in the W175-180 region." This equates to $2.4 per barrel.
Market Secrecy Bad For Rates, Say Brokers
Increased secrecy in the tanker chartering market may be pushing rates lower, even though many brokers and owners like the idea of doing private business. Although it has always been a secretive business where only a portion of trading was made public, shipping sources say more and more tanker chartering is being done directly through a single broker rather than being put out to tender. However, ship owners and some brokers say charterers are able to dictate rates because they have more information about cargo and ship availability and can influence the perception of supply and demand. Despite this, most tanker brokers generally prefer private business even if it means they cannot compete for some cargoes.