Minerva Marine orders two suezmax tankers from Hengli Shipbuilding, continuing its fleet expansion strategy in the maritime sector.
Greek owner Minerva Marine has ordered two suezmax crude tankers at China's Hengli Shipbuilding, reported Singapore's Splash 247. The deal continues the company's steady fleet expansion across multiple segments.
The contract covers two 158,000-dwt vessels valued between US$160 million and $200 million, putting the unit price at about $80 million to $100 million, according to an exchange filing by Songfa Ceramics, Hengli's parent company.
The filing also disclosed a separate order for two VLCCs placed by a well-known Singaporean owner, though no further details were provided.
Minerva has been active at Hengli in recent months. Late last year, the Andreas Martinos-led group joined a round of LR2 tanker orders, signing up for six newbuildings as part of a broader renewal and growth programme.
While the owner has recently focused on containership orders in the 1,800-3,000 TEU range at Chinese yards, its tanker commitments remain sizeable. Minerva also has four LR2s under construction at New Times Shipbuilding, with deliveries scheduled for 2027.
Excluding dry bulk and container operations under Minerva Dry, Minerva Marine operates about 50 crude and product tankers. The company currently lists seven suezmaxes built between 2006 and 2018, with the latest order set to refresh the segment.
