Denmark’s Maersk Tankers is attracting new partners to its intermediate pool, backed by strong earnings. The latest to join is Argentina-based Bahia Grande and its 2010-built clean chemical and product tanker Ayane. The company is the third new partner to join the pool in 2022.
. The company is the third new partner to join the pool in 2022. Maersk Tankers said product tanker markets continue to see high spot rates and exceptionally high volatility between regions and markets.
“This offers shipowners the opportunity to secure high earnings, providing they can position their ships to match earning spikes, but it also exposes them to risk if their timing is wrong,” the company said, and according to its lead charterer for the intermediate pool, Sumit Sabarwal, this is especially true for the intermediate segment, where most trade is specific to a certain region.
Most pools in the intermediate segment trade in one region, but Maersk Tankers’ pool is trading its ships globally and is able to move the fleet to those markets with the highest demand for tanker trade. “It is therefore less exposed to fluctuations in individual markets,” the company noted.
“We have built this position over the past few years and accelerated it last year to be able to diversify our exposure into more geographical and cargo markets. Especially in the current market environment, where rates and inter-regional volatility have increased significantly, this has proved to be a great strength,” remarked Sabarwal.
Maersk Tankers entered the intermediate segment in the early 2000s and acquired the Swedish shipowner Broström in 2009. Following the acquisition, the company operated its intermediate vessels under the Broström brand, largely in Northwest Europe. Today, Maersk Tankers manages around 20 vessels for seven different owners in its intermediate pool.
