NYSE-listed DHT Holdings has booked one of its very large crude carriers (VLCCs) on a three-year charter, adding another major fixture to a tightening tanker market.
The 2016-built DHT Panther has been fixed for three years at $100,000 per day with the charter starting in October 2026.
DHT did not disclose the charterer’s identity, saying only that the customer was a global energy company.
The deal comes amid continued surging rates in both the spot and time-charter markets for large tankers. The current security issues in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb continue to alter trading patterns and drive VLCC rates to extraordinary levels.
“Spot fixtures of vessels loading in the Gulf of Oman are now at levels similar to voyages transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which shows how much pressure the market is under at the moment,”
Kyklades Maritime Corp’s Nissos Kea, built in 2022, was reported fixed to BP from the Arabian Gulf to the East Coast of India, loading in the Gulf of Oman, at an extraordinary rate of $619,000 per day, Tankers International said.
The fixture highlights the rapid rise in VLCC earnings as charterers scramble for tonnage amid continuing security and routing uncertainties.
The Iranian blacklist, issued by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), listing 77 vessels including the Nissos Kea, adds another layer of complexity to an already highly sensitive tanker market.
The strength of the current market is giving owners such as DHT Holdings the opportunity to lock in very high long-term earnings while charterers are faced with more and more expensive options as geopolitical risks continue to impact the movement of crude tankers.
