Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited (TEN) announced the delivery and charter of DNA-Aframax tanker Asahi Princess from Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan. The vessel was placed on a one-to-four month repositioning time-charter with a major international oil trader. Upon expiry of the charter, the vessel will be redelivered to its intended operating area, the mid-Atlantic basin.
"We welcome the Asahi Princess into our fleet, the sixth DNA-aframax tanker, in a series of eight that we signed with the Sumitomo yard in the summer of 2004," said Mr. Nikolas P. Tsakos, President and CEO of TEN. "We are confident that this vessel, as is the case with its sister-ships, will play a major role in the cash flow generating ability of TEN for the years to come. In our quest to always maintain the modernity and versatility of our fleet, our DNA designed vessels should continue to prove very attractive assets to us and the chartering community in general. We are confident that the Asahi Princess will maintain this trend."
TEN's pro forma fleet consists of 52 vessels of 5.6 million dwt. TEN's operational fleet consists of 48 vessels all of double-hull design.
TEN's newbuilding program includes two DNA-aframax crude carriers and two Suezmax tankers totaling about 526,000 dwt.
TEN's fleet profile is reflected in 27 crude tankers ranging from VLCCs to Aframaxes and 24 product carriers ranging from Aframaxes to handysize; complemented by one LNG.
