Petrobras signs charter contracts for tanker newbuildings

Oil company Petrobras has recently signed 12 newbuilding long-term charter deals with another seven products tanker charters still under consideration.

As the state-run oil company uses its growing transport needs to help revitalize the Brazilian shipbuilding industry, acquisitions director Paulo Roberto Costa said the company will “certainly” have new rounds of newbuilding deals, both for chartered in and owned vessels. “We’re not going stop here. You just have to look at the pre-salt and what is to come,” he said, referring to Brazil’s offshore subsalt oil finds.

Petrobras said it signed 15-year contracts with Global Transporte Oceanico for three 45,000 dwt products tankers which are planned to be built at Maua Shipyard in Niteroi.

Petrobras also finalized a fixture of three 4,500 dwt bunkering tankers from Navegacao Sao Miguel, which will build the vessels at its own shipyard. In the third deal, Delima Comercio e Navegacao will build three 2,500 dwt bunkering tankers at Renavi/Enavi in Niteroi.

Under the charter deals, the vessels must fly the Brazilian flag and have Brazilian crews. Delivery is slated between 2011 and 2014.

Costa said 35 companies submitted proposals in the charter tenders for 19 newbuilding tankers. Although the oil producer said previously that it struck a deal with Spain’s Elcano to charter three 7,000m³ LPG carriers, the deal was not included in the recent tally of finalized orders.

Unhappy with the rates in the proposals for the remaining ships, Petrobras said it was still negotiating charter deals for the seven products tankers.