STX Pan Ocean VLOC newbuild suffers hull cracking

A STX Pan Ocean VLOC chartered to Vale has a crack in its hull according to reports in the Brazilian press, Seatrade Asia online reports. The 400,000 dwt Vale Beijing had developed a crack in the hull, which was allowing water to flow into the ballast tank according to a report by the O Globo newspaper. The vessel is moored at Port Ponta da Madeira in Maranhão and operations are underway to pump water out of the ballast tank to stabilise the vessel, the report said.
The Vale Beijing was delivered in September this year and was built by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding. It was the first of eight such ships to be delivered to STX Pan Ocean