Maritime glossary · Very Large Crude Carrier
VLCC
A crude oil tanker of roughly 200,000 to 320,000 DWT, the workhorse of long-haul crude trades.
Definition
A VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) is a crude oil tanker of about 200,000 to 320,000 DWT, carrying around two million barrels of crude. VLCCs run the long-haul routes from the Middle East Gulf to Asia and Europe and load at deepwater terminals or by ship-to-ship transfer offshore. The even larger ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) above 320,000 DWT is now rare. VLCC earnings are a closely watched barometer of the crude tanker market.
How Vessel Hunter uses VLCC
Vessel Hunter tracks the VLCC fleet by owner, operator, and trading pattern, including the ship-to-ship transfers that often signal a change of trade.
Related terms
- Oil Tanker
A tanker built to carry crude oil or refined petroleum products in bulk liquid form.
- Suezmax
A tanker sized to the maximum that can transit the Suez Canal fully laden, around 120,000 to 200,000 DWT.
- Aframax
A crude tanker of roughly 80,000 to 120,000 DWT, named after an old freight-rate scale.
- DWTDeadweight Tonnage
The maximum weight in tonnes a vessel can carry (cargo, fuel, ballast, crew, stores) without exceeding its load line.
- Ship-to-Ship TransferSTS
The transfer of cargo directly between two vessels at sea, routine in trade but also used to obscure origin.
The bigger picture
VLCC is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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