Teekay Tankers Ltd. has announced that it has agreed to acquire four coated Aframax tankers and one uncoated Aframax tanker for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $230 million. The five vessels, which are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2015, were constructed in 2008, 2010 and 2011 at top tier shipyards in Japan and China. Upon delivery, the vessels will trade in the Teekay-managed Taurus LR2 Pool and Aframax RSA, the company said in its press release.
The vessel acquisitions have been approved by the Board of Directors of both Teekay Tankers and the sellers and remain subject to customary closing conditions.
About Teekay Tankers Ltd.
Teekay Tankers directly owns a fleet of 32 double-hull vessels, including 12 Aframax tankers, 10 Suezmax tankers, seven Long Range 2 (LR2) product tankers, three Medium-Range (MR) product tankers, including five vessels to be acquired in the first quarter of 2015, and has contracted ten time charter-in conventional tankers. Teekay Tankers' vessels are employed through a mix of short- or medium-term fixed-rate time charter contracts and spot tanker market trading, and its vessels are commercially and technically managed by a joint venture company in which Teekay Tankers and Teekay Corporation (NYSE:TK) each own a 50 percent interest. The Company also owns a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) through a 50 percent-owned joint venture. In addition, Teekay Tankers owns a minority interest in Tanker Investments Ltd. (OSLO:TIL), which currently owns a fleet of 20 modern tankers, including six vessels to be acquired in the first half of 2015. Teekay Tankers was formed in December 2007 by Teekay Corporation as part of its strategy to expand its conventional oil tanker business.