Topic
Tankers
Every Vessel Hunter story on Tankers: 113 stories, from 8 September 2026 to 12 October 2026. Newest: "Stena Imperator and Stena Superior join the Swedish register". Each story links to the ships and ports it names, so a name in the text opens the record behind it.
Stena Imperator and Stena Superior join the Swedish register
Stena Bulk has moved the product tanker Stena Imperator and the Suezmax Stena Superior to the Swedish flag, the fourth and fifth ships of its programme.
Two seafarers missing after drone hits Petro Dolphin off Sohar as IRGC widens threat
Two Indian seafarers are missing after a drone hit the tanker Petro Dolphin at Sohar anchorage on 11 October, two days after the IRGC extended its threat beyond Hormuz.
Two missing off Sohar, HMM Platinum fire, ammonia bulker
Two seafarers are missing after a drone hit a tanker off Sohar, HMM Platinum drifts off Madagascar after a fire, the MAIB reports on Arvia and Mineral Europa sails.
Tanker Acers hit by projectiles off Qatar as Gulf attacks spread beyond Hormuz
The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged tanker Acers was hit by multiple projectiles off Qatar on 7 October, the first strike deep inside the Gulf since 9 September.
Malaysia says it cannot police shadow fleet transfers as Iranian oil offshore runs low
Malaysia's transport minister says ship-to-ship transfers beyond port limits are outside its reach, as Iran's floating crude off Malaysia falls to about 10 million barrels.
Lila Global sells 20-year-old VLCC Vadin for $117m, nearly double its price
Lila Global has sold the 2006-built VLCC Vadin, ex-Kasagisan, for $117m, months after buying her from Mitsui OSK Lines for $60.5m.
Japan sanctions 35 shadow fleet ships in its first vessel designations
Japan has designated 35 ships tied to Russian oil exports, its first sanctions on individual vessels: services, financing and crew supply now need permission.
Uni-Tankers takes eight 7,600 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers from Haidong
Danish operator Uni-Tankers has signed for eight 7,600 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers to be built at China's state-owned Haidong Shipyard and taken on time charter from 2028.
Kazimah III hit in Hormuz as tanker strikes reach six in a week and Yanbu is targeted
The Kuwaiti VLCC Kazimah III was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on 1 October, the sixth ship hit in a week, while a projectile briefly stopped tanker loading at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu.
This Week in Maritime: Gulf crude is back, and tankers are still being hit
Gulf oil exports returned to prewar volumes while four more tankers were struck in Hormuz, Somali pirates killed five crew, the ZIM review restarted and shipping earnings set a third record.
Sanctioned tankers move to the Russian flag as Europe cuts false flags by half
Europe's detentions have cut the shadow fleet ships flying false flags from 101 to 45, but 107 vessels have moved to the Russian registry since January 2025, most of them already sanctioned.
Al Funtas and three more tankers hit in Hormuz as Gulf crude exports recover
Kuwait's VLCC Al Funtas and at least three other tankers were struck around the Strait of Hormuz in the last days of September, even as Gulf oil exports climbed back to near prewar volumes.
Onex DMCC linked to five VLCC purchases as supertanker values climb
Dubai trading house Onex DMCC is now linked to at least five VLCC purchases, from the record $200m Pinios to the 26-year-old Dennie, as the benchmark Gulf-China rate passed $1m a day.
Salvage under way at the Caroline Bezengi wreck off Oman as the monsoon eases
Salvors are now working on the deck of the stranded tanker Caroline Bezengi off Oman, with pumps flown aboard by helicopter and a floating hose being run out, after the Khareef winds abated.
Aramco begins partial restart of East-West Pipeline as Yanbu books a cargo
Saudi Aramco can now restart part of the flow on its East-West Pipeline, damaged in a drone attack on 11 September, and one crude export loading has already been scheduled at Yanbu.
Yangzijiang Maritime orders 24 ships with options on 16 more
Yangzijiang Maritime Development has ordered 24 newbuildings at several Chinese yards and taken options on 16 more, lifting its portfolio to 98 vessels including options.
Chinese yards take 82% of new orders as crude routes lengthen
Chinese shipbuilders booked 121.06m dwt of new orders in the first half of 2026, 82.3% of the world total, as owners ordered large tankers for the longer crude voyages the Hormuz closure created.
Maritime Briefing of 23 September 2026
Transpetrol enters the LR1 segment, Taiwan gets a home-based cable layer, LS Marine books a record cable contract, and the European List of recycling yards becomes a fight.
Dutch tanker Star Bonaire held at Ghent since mid-September
The Dutch-flagged product tanker Star Bonaire has been detained in the Ghent-Terneuzen canal since Monday 14 September, with no deficiencies made public.
Transpetrol enters the LR1 segment with two Yangzijiang newbuildings
Transpetrol has ordered two 75,000 dwt LR1 product tankers at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for delivery in the first and second quarters of 2030, adding a new size class to its fleet.
Maritime Briefing of 22 September 2026
Tanker freight is now large enough to reroute trade, the crew of an LNG carrier report attackers reaching cargo safety systems, and MSC opens talks on Germany's stake in Meyer Werft.
Crew of LNG Carrier Vivit Africa Report Cyberattack on Cargo Safety Systems
The crew of the Liberia-flagged Vivit Africa LNG say attackers took temporary control of steam pressure and safety valve systems, and the ship left the Adriatic without discharging its US cargo.
Pantheon Sells 2011-Built VLCC Sea Leopard for $135m, Above Newbuild Price
Brokers report Pantheon Tankers has sold the 2011-built, 314,000 dwt Sea Leopard for $135m, more than the headline cost of ordering a new VLCC for delivery several years out.
Trafigura Carves Out 14-Ship VLCC Arm With $500m Placement and Oslo Listing
Trafigura is opening its VLCC fleet to outside investors through Volare Shipping, a Singapore-incorporated company raising about $500m ahead of a planned Euronext Growth Oslo listing on or about 5 October.
VLCC Freight Adds $26 a Barrel and Starts to Shrink US Gulf-Asia Crude
The Middle East Gulf-China VLCC benchmark reached $1.2125m a day on 17 September, ten times its pre-conflict level, and freight now adds roughly $26 to every barrel moved from the US Gulf to Asia.
Maritime Briefing of 20 September 2026
A drone kills a master in the Black Sea while Turkey circulates a truce text, the Dali becomes the largest single loss in P&I history, and Asian port congestion passes its pandemic peak.
US Sanctions the Crypto Exchange Behind Iran's Hormuz Transit Fees
OFAC has sanctioned BitBank, the cryptocurrency exchange used to process payments to the IRGC-linked HormuzSafe scheme that charges commercial vessels for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Coast Guard and FBI Boarded a VLCC Off Texas Over a Cyberattack
A Coast Guard cyber team and the FBI boarded the 319,547 dwt VL Prosperity off Texas after indications that her networks had been compromised, in an investigation covering at least two US-bound tankers.
Maritime Briefing of 17 September 2026
A disabled tanker off Oman with two crew missing, general average on the fire-hit CMA CGM Petra, a detention at Brake on a pilot's word, and the first consolidated container inspection data since 2024.
Yanbu Loadings Paused as East-West Pipeline Damage Halts Flow
Loading has been suspended at Yanbu after attacks on the East-West Pipeline, removing a terminal that had been lifting around four million barrels a day, roughly four percent of global supply.
El Gaia Crew Taken Off Disabled Tanker, Two Still Missing
Oman took 23 crew off the Panama-flagged product tanker El Gaia and is towing her in, while Iran calls the casualty a sea mine and US Central Command calls it a second strike on an already-disabled ship.
Maritime Briefing of 16 September 2026
The TD3C benchmark passes $1m a day and ten-year-old VLCCs outprice newbuildings, Oman cancels its Salalah conference, and Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd return four more services to the Red Sea.
Iran's Hormuz Blacklist Reaches 77 Ships and Now Warns Insurers and Class Societies
Iran's self-declared Persian Gulf Strait Authority has taken its Strait of Hormuz blacklist to 77 named ships and warned insurers, P&I clubs and classification societies to stop servicing them.
Benchmark VLCC Rate Passes $1m a Day and Ten-Year-Old Ships Outprice Newbuildings
The Baltic Exchange TD3C benchmark has pushed through the equivalent of $1m a day for the first time, and a ten-year-old VLCC is now worth more than a newbuilding.
Maritime Briefing of 15 September 2026
Gulf crude exports pass 10m barrels a day on facilitated Hormuz transits, Somali pirates release the Sward after a ransom, and a ro-ro ferry sinks in the Java Sea with 243 aboard.
Dynacom Returns to Hengli With Eight More Ships Worth Close to $1bn
George Procopiou's Dynacom has ordered eight more vessels at Hengli Heavy Industries in a package worth close to $1bn, taking its VLCC count at the yard to twenty.
Three Ships With Indian Crews Struck in Two Days Near the Strait of Hormuz
An LPG carrier and two crude tankers carrying Indian crew were hit on 8 and 9 September; all those on board survived, but 173 Indian seafarers remain on ships west of the Strait of Hormuz.
Gulf Crude Exports Pass 10m Barrels a Day on Facilitated Hormuz Transits
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is running at about 20% of its pre-conflict norm, yet Gulf crude exports have passed 10m barrels a day and VLCC rates have reached a record.
Maritime Briefing of 14 September 2026
German dock workers decide on indefinite strikes, a Qatari LNG carrier transits Hormuz for the first time since July, and liner carriers ask the IMO to cap undeclared batteries.
Prompt VLCC Tonnage Now Outprices the Newbuilding Market
Frontline has paid out a special dividend on the sale of two VLCCs at $135m each, while the sale-and-purchase market discusses $200m for a ship available immediately.
Albania Turns Away Shadow Fleet Tanker Hanuman at Durres
Albanian authorities refused the product tanker Hanuman entry to Durres after Ukrainian military intelligence identified it as part of Russia's shadow fleet.
Maritime Briefing of 12 September 2026
Houthi forces reached the Bab el-Mandeb, a dry dock fire at Qingdao killed 25 workers, MSC kept buying secondhand tonnage and the container fleet closed on 34 million TEU.
Odfjell Orders Suction Sails for Chemical Tanker Bow Optima
Odfjell has ordered four eSAIL suction sails for the 49,000 dwt chemical tanker Bow Optima, its first repeat order after the installation aboard sister ship Bow Olympus.
Drone strike damages Suezmax tanker Siren in the Black Sea
The Liberia-flagged crude carrier Siren was struck by drones overnight while crossing the Black Sea, damaging her accommodation block without injuries or an oil spill.
Yemen Coast Guard Stops the Tanker Nereida After a Call at Ras Isa
The Yemen Coast Guard has stopped the sanctioned product tanker Nereida after a delivery at the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, saying the ship entered without permits or UN inspection.
BULL Adds the Lady of Doria as Its Fourth MR Tanker in Four Months
Buana Lintas Lautan has bought the 20-year-old, 46,000 dwt MR2 Lady of Doria, its fourth MR purchase in as many months and the exit from shipping of Bangladesh's Doria Shipping.
Espino de Marotta Takes Charge of a Panama Canal Running Short of Water
Ilya Espino de Marotta has taken office for a seven-year term at the Panama Canal, with rainfall 34% below average and daily transit capacity falling to 32 ships from 15 September.
Ventura Takes On Deep Value Driller and Lands $58m Petronas Job
Ventura Offshore will manage the drillship Deep Value Driller for Eldorado Drilling and has secured a one-well contract with Petronas in Indonesia worth around $58m.
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