Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Novo

In a notable development in the maritime oil transport sector, the tanker 'Novo' made an unexpected U-turn in the Caribbean earlier this week, altering its course away from Venezuela. Scheduled to ship one million barrels of Hamaca crude to Singapore, the 'Novo' had its loading window canceled on June 6, 2020, due to the suspension of its chartering contract. This vessel is operated by Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd., the same company managing the 'Chios I,' which was placed on the U.S. Treasury's blacklisted vessels list just last week. Another tanker, the 'Seadancer,' which is managed by Greek firm Thenamaris Ships Management and chartered by Thai refinery Tipco Asphalt, has returned to Gibraltar after remaining anchored in the Atlantic for a week. Initially, it was on course to load 1 million barrels of Venezuela’s Boscan crude for delivery to Tipco's Kemaman refinery in Malaysia. The 'Seadancer' had to alter its itinerary following Tipco's decision to abandon the vessel's planned operation. Adding to this trend, the 'Seahero,' another vessel operated by Thenamaris that previously loaded crude from Venezuela in February, was also blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department last week. Compounding fears of imminent shipping sanctions, at least three additional Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs)—namely the 'Boston', 'Commodore', and 'Respect'—sailed out of Venezuelan waters over the past weekend and are now anchored in the Eastern Caribbean. Since December, a total of 77 tankers have visited Venezuela’s primary oil ports, accounting for over 2% of the global fleet, making many of these vessels potential targets for sanctions. As the situation develops, maritime operators remain on high alert regarding Venezuela's oil export activities.

In a groundbreaking move for the shipping industry, Vitol has successfully chartered the very first LR3 tanker to carry naphtha cargo to the Far East. According to reports, the company will transport between 120,000 to 125,000 tonnes of low-sulphur naphtha aboard the Novo, a 150,000 dwt vessel built in 2012. The ship is set to make its journey from Ruwais to Japan, with sailing dates scheduled between April 15 and 18. This historic shipment highlights a significant advancement in the capabilities of LR3 tankers in the global oil market.