Vietnamese shipping newcomer Sao Viet Petrol Transportation has wasted no time beefing up its tanker fleet, taking delivery of three tankers quietly bought from some of the bigger names in the sector.
IHS Markit data indicated that all three were delivered to the Hanoi-based company in March, although the purchase deals may have occurred earlier.
The largest of the trio was Thenamaris’ 164,000-dwt suezmax Searacer (built 2002), which brokers reported in early March as being sold for $15.3m.
Both IHS and VesselsValue recorded that ownership of the Searacer has been switched to Sao Viet, which has renamed it Innova and flagged in Gabon.
Vessel tracking services on 30 March showed it as heading to Covenas in Colombia.
Vietnam is a major buyer of Colombian crude oil.
Another tanker that sailed across to Sao Viet ownership was the 107,000-dwt Eagle Tampa (built 2003) of AET, the tanker arm of MISC Berhad.
The Eagle Tampa has been renamed Mira and flagged in Vietnam.
It too was en route to Covenas on Tuesday.
Several Singapore-based tanker brokers said they were unaware that the Eagle Tampa had even been sold. Similarly, no change of ownership was shown by VesselsValue, which estimated the Imabari Shipbuilding-constructed tanker to be worth $10.43m.
The third ship to join the Sao Viet fleet in March was Chembulk Tankers' 21,200-dwt stainless-steel chemical tanker Chembulk Yokohama (built 2003).
Both IHS and VesselsValue reflect that the Usuki Shipyard-built ship has become the Vietnamese-flagged Yara.
Sao Viet has until now kept a low market profile. Tanker sources in Vietnam believe the company to be privately owned.
The company launched in November 2020 when it bought its first ship, the 21,200-dwt MT Carp (built 2002).
The vessel was acquired as the Chembulk Kobe. Now flying the Gabonese flag, it is a sistership to the more recently acquired Yara.
IHS data showed the ship to have been trading in Asia, South Asia and the Middle East since Sao Viet became its owner.
TradeWinds has sought comment from Sao Viet via email, the only available means of contacting it listed in online shipping and Vietnamese business databases.
