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Unipec tops dirty tanker charterer list in 2014

Unipec topped the list of dirty tanker charterers in 2014, and was by far the largest hirer of VLCC tonnage, according to brokers Poten & Partners.

Marcus Hand, Editor

January 12, 2015

1 Min Read
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China’s Unipec topped the list with 815 reported dirty tanker fixtures last year or 7.8% of all spot market charters. It was followed by Shell with 758 fixtures and Vittol in third place, moving ahead of BP from 2013, with BP the fourth largest charterer last year Chevron fifth.

“One new entrant in the top 20 was Italian oil company ENI, which moved up to no.15, while US refiner Valero dropped out of the top 20 in 2014,” Poten said in its weekly report.

Unipec was the dominant charterer in the spot VLCC market with 566 reported fixtures or 28.4% of all fixtures last year.

Poten commented: “This is more than the next 5 largest VLCC charterers combined! Together, Chinese companies cover approximately 40% of the reported spot VLCC spot market.”

Chevron was the largest suezmax charterer followed by BP and Shell, while Shell was the largest spot aframax charterer, with Vittol and BP second and third respectively.

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About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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