NewLead Charters Out Bitumen Tanker

The Greek dry bulk carrier and tanker operator NewLead Holdings has entered into its first contract of affreightment with an undisclosed client for one of the five bitumen tankers recently added to the fleet. 

The 2009-built Katerina L has been chartered for a period of ten months, and will ship a minimum of 31,000 tons of bitumen over ten voyages, or up to a maximum of 49,600 tons of bitumen over 16 voyages. The first shipment is scheduled to commence by the end of February 2015.

The Katerina L will be trading in the Mediterranean and United Arab Emirates areas Katerina L has secured employment for a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 300 days in 2015, depending on the respective trading routes.

The company now has 24.6% and 23.9% of its operating days covered for 2015 for the dry-bulk and tanker vessels, respectively, with the Newlead Victoria and the Nepheli on a period time charter until June 2018 and July 2015, respectively, and the rest of the company’s fleet trading on the spot market.