Tue 9 Apr 2013, 13:47 GMT

Teekay in deal to buy fuel-efficient tankers


Four product tankers to be built by South Korean firm STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.



Teekay Tankers Ltd. has announced today that it has entered into an agreement with STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., of South Korea for the construction of four fuel-efficient 113,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) Long Range 2 (LR2) product tanker newbuildings for a fully built-up cost of approximately $47 million each.

The agreement with STX also includes fixed-price options for up to 12 additional LR2 newbuildings that can be declared over the next 18 months. Upon delivery, it is expected that the vessels will operate in Teekay Corporation's Taurus Tankers LR2 Pool (the Taurus LR2 Pool), which is one of the world's largest LR2 pools with approximately 20 LR2 product tankers.

The agreement with STX includes an installment payment schedule for the majority of the purchase price due upon delivery. The company says it intends to finance the installment payments with its existing liquidity, which was approximately $327 million as of December 31, 2012. Teekay expects to secure long-term debt financing for the four vessels prior to their scheduled deliveries in late-2015 and early-2016.

"The shift in global refining capacity east of the Suez Canal, development of new long-haul product tanker trading patterns, including the potential for increased U.S. exports, and a relatively modest orderbook, make the LR2 segment a particularly attractive growth area for Teekay Tankers," commented Bruce Chan, Teekay Tankers' Chief Executive Officer. "With their fuel-efficient design, which is estimated to result in 20 to 30 percent fuel savings compared to current vessels in the existing LR2 fleet, we believe these newbuildings will be very attractive to our customers. Furthermore, we believe the vessel deliveries are well-timed to benefit from expected improvements in refined product and global crude oil tanker market fundamentals."

Chan added, "We are pleased to be working with STX, a high quality Korean yard with a strong track record for successful newbuilding deliveries. Working closely over the past two years with STX, our customers and our sponsor, Teekay Corporation, we evaluated several vessel configuration options before proceeding with a design we believe will provide an optimal combination of function and efficiency. In addition, we have been able to benefit from our sponsor's strong shipyard relationship to achieve favorable pricing and an option stream that supports Teekay Tankers' future growth and fleet renewal objectives."


Truck-to-ship (TTS) LNG bunkering at Port of Palermo. Molgas completes first LNG bunkering operation at Palermo  

Spanish energy firm carries out maiden LNG delivery at Sicilian port.

Maersk 5,900-teu vessel. Tsuneishi China delivers third methanol dual-fuel boxship in series  

Zhoushan shipbuilder hands over another 5,900-teu Maersk container vessel.

Type approval test (TAT) for ME-LGIA ammonia engine. Everllence completes type approval test for ammonia engine ahead of sea trials  

Eight classification societies oversee testing of ME-LGIA ammonia engine at Copenhagen research centre.

Zhong Ran 23 vessel. CPN bunker barge becomes first vessel listed under Hong Kong’s new quality bunkering scheme  

Zhong Ran 23 achieves listing under the Marine Department’s voluntary mass flow metering initiative.

Peder Moller, Bunker Holding. Bunker Holding posts $73m pre-tax profit amid geopolitical headwinds and board overhaul  

Marine fuels exceeds its own expectations despite 4% revenue decline.

Oilmar Board of Directors graphic. Oilmar formalises governance structure with establishment of board of directors  

Dubai-based marine fuels trader Oilmar appoints three-member board.

Henrik Andersen, Vestas Wind Systems A/S. Vestas Wind Systems CEO appointed vice chair of Bunker Holding  

Henrik Andersen joins the board of the marine fuels group with more than two decades of international business experience.

Tina Revsbech, Maersk Tankers. Maersk Tankers CEO Tina Revsbech joins Bunker Holding board  

Danish USTC Group appoints shipping veteran to subsidiary’s board of directors.

Yampu vessel. CSL delivers world’s first battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier  

MV Yampu will transport limestone for Adbri in Australia, with full electric operation targeted by 2031.

Illustration of hydrogen fuel cell system. NYK, Yanmar and Eneos to install hydrogen fuel cell system on new Tokyo dining cruise vessel  

Three Japanese companies are collaborating to bring hydrogen propulsion to a dining cruise ship due to enter service in 2027.