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Ecuador's Oceanbat S.A. has announced that it has introduced a new double-hull bunker barge with a total capacity of 7000 deadweight tonnes (dwt).

The vessel, named M/T Maria del Carmen V, is currently on time charter with Termoguayas.

With the addition of the company's new bunker barge, Oceanbat's fleet is now as follows:

* M/T Maria del Carmen, 2810 dwt, acting as bunker barge.
* M/T Maria del Carmen II, 5,000 dwt, acting as bunker barge.
* M/T Maria del Carmen III, 7,000 dwt, on time charter with Petroecuador.
* M/T Maria del Carmen IV, 7,000 dwt, on time charter with Petroecuador.
* M/T Maria del Carmen V, 7,000 dwt, on time charter with Termoguayas.
* M/T Rio Amazonas, (on a 2-year charter with Oceanbat) 7,000 dwt acting as bunker barge.
* L/C El Talisman, 15,000 gals capacity, for transportation of clean products in Guayaquil

Oceanbat says that it is now able to offer a total fuel capacity of 15,000 metric tonnes.

News of the company's new barge follows the announcement towards the end of last year that the Vepamil S.A. Group would be rebranding its bunker supply operations under the name Oceanbat S.A..

Up until then, sales of marine fuels to international clients had been carried out under the name Vepamil S.A.

Speaking to Bunker Index in November, Bunker Manager Amparo Brocel explained that the group had decided to carry out its bunker supply operations as Oceanbat S.A, so that there was a clear differentiation between national and international fuel sales.

As a result, Vepamil S.A. will continue to operate in the internal fuels market and will also sell lubricants.

Please find below the recently changed email addresses for members of the Oceanbat bunker team.

Michael Norton - mnorton@oceanbat.com

Amparo Brocel - abrocel@oceanbat.com

Marjorie Minchala - operaciones@oceanbat.com

Jose Bjerre - jbjerre@oceanbat.com

The main email address for marine fuels enquiries has also been changed to bunkers@oceanbat.com.

The company's address, telephone and fax numbers have remained the same and are as follows:

Oceanbat S.A.
Avenida Carlos Julio Arosemena Km 1 1/2
PO Box 2386
Guayaquil

Telephone: +593 4 2201 226
Fax: +593 4 2201 254
Website: www.vepamil.com.ec