In Hellenic Shipping News 08/04/2015
Shipbrokers reported increased newbuilding ordering activity over the course of the past week, despite the Easter Holidays in the Western world. As it turns out, ship owners’ appetite for tankers is increasing, as prospects for the market remain quite promising. According to the latest weekly report from Allied Shipbroking, “another flurry of oil tanker contracting emerged this week, as interest continues to mount in this sector while most of the traditional ship owners look to head towards the safety of the tanker sector, finding no real reason for optimism amongst the battering conditions being seen in the dry bulk chartering market”.
The shipbroker added that “S. Korean shipbuilders have been the main beneficiaries for the most part, showing off their technical advantage in the construction of ships for this sector. With high construction quality playing a major role in these vessels, Japanese shipbuilders have not been losing out either. On the other hand, you have the difficulties of some of the Chinese yards which are inter-linked with the fate of the dry bulk market, while prospects for new contracting within 2015 are estimated to continue to be on the low end likely leading to a drying up of orderbooks for several less competitive shipbuilders and a much anticipated further consolidation of the market especially within China”, Allied said.
Meanwhile, in a separate report, shipbroker Clarkson Hellas said that “in tankers, Samsung Heavy Industries are reported to have won an order for four firm 115,000 DWT ice class Aframax tankers for Clients of Cardiff Marine for delivery in 2017.Samsung Heavy Industries are also reported to have received an order for two firm plus two optional 115,000 DWT Crude Aframax tankers for Clients of Unisea with delivery set for 2017”.
It added that “in Dry, there is only one order to report this week, with AVIC Weihai announcing to have contracted two firm 38,000 DWT Handysize bulkers with Mineralien Schiffahrt Spedition und Trasnport. The duo will be delivered in October and December 2016 respectively. The container market has also seen a singular order this week, with Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) ordering six firm 21,100 TEU container carriers at Samsung Heavy Industries. The series will deliver from Geoje throughout 2016 and 2017 and will be the largest container carriers ever built, so far. Samsung Heavy Industries have also taken an order for four firm 20,150 TEU container carriers from Mitsui OSK Lines for delivery in 2017 earlier this year. Finally in other sectors, COSCO Southern Asphalt are reported to have placed an order for two firm 13,000 DWT Asphalt & Bitumen Carriers at Wuchang SB Group for delivery in October and December 2016”, Clarkson Hellas concluded.
In the demolition market, Allied Shipbroking noted that “things seemed to have kept on a steady course for the time beeing , with offered prices seen out of both the Indian Sub-Continent and Far East keeping on par with the previous levels we were seeing. There is still a good inflow of demo candidates being offered in the market and appetite amongst cash buyers is still there. Yet the sense of uncertain-ty continues to dominate the market, with many feeling that a lot of the buying that has taken place over the past couple of weeks is more speculative then based on strong demand fundamentals, begin the question as to how long the current levels can last. For the time being it looks as though owners are more then happy to take advantage of the current situation which offers them an easier option when it comes to the prospects of most of their overage units. At the same time the difficult conditions faced by bulkers over the first quarter of the year has lead to a break neck speed of vessels heading for the beaches, and with prospects for the remainder of 2015 not looking much more rosy, it is likely that this pace will continue. In terms of reported business, it is of note to mention the sale of the yet another Capesize, namely the “OCEAN DRAGON” (151k dwt, 17,987ldt, blt 95 Japan) which was sold to Bangladeshi breakers for a very firm US$ 425/ldt”, the shipbroker concluded.
