Energy major ExxonMobil is joining the MR tanker newbuilding bandwagon with a hunt for two vessels.
Shipbuilding sources said yards in Japan and South Korea have been approached for the 50,000-dwt tankers, but Ulsan-based Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) appears to be the only remaining facility that is in talks with ExxonMobil for the pair.
One shipbuilding source said Japanese yards such as Onomichi Dockyard and Japan Marine United are not competing for ExxonMobil’s newbuildings because the oil major is looking for ships that will meet the IMO's Tier III emissions standards.
