In a statement New York-listed Ardmore said the 45,700-dwt Ardmore Seamariner (built 2006), which it acquired in October, will begin a three-month fixture inked at $16,050 per day upon completion of upgrades and a scheduled intermediate survey.
In addition, the operator noted the 50,000-dwt Ardmore Seavaliant (built 2013) is poised to rake in $17,100 daily for a year under the terms of a freshly minted deal that is scheduled to commence next month.
Ardmore failed to identify the charterers behind either of the contracts but was quick to point out that the rate linked to the latter represents an increase of approximately $2,000 per day when compared to market averages recorded a year ago.
When the same Ardmore Seavaliant made TradeWinds headlines in March of last year we reported it had been fixed toCargill for 12 months at a rate of $15,350 per day.
The company also used Tuesday’s announcement as an opportunity to update investors about the 29,000-dwt Ardmore Centurion(built 2005), which is undergoing upgrades that will improve its fuel efficiency and “commercial capability” in the chemical segment.
“The upgrades will allow carriage of a broader range of cargos and reduce cleaning time, which will enhance the vessel's earnings potential,” it said, adding: “Following completion of the upgrade program, the company expects that the vessel will resume operating in product and chemical trades in late January 2014.”
Ardmore is led by chief executive Anthony Gurnee and based in Cork where it oversees a fleet of 10 mid-sized product and chemical carriers in addition to 11 newbuildings that are due for delivery this year and next, according to the Clarksons Shipping Intelligence Network database.
