Greek owner Minerva Marine has returned to China’s Hengli Shipbuilding with an order for two suezmax crude tankers, continuing its steady fleet expansion across multiple segments.
The deal covers two 158,000 dwt vessels, with a total contract value in the range of $160m to $200m, putting the unit price at around $80m to $100m, according to an exchange filing by Songfa Ceramics, the parent company of Hengli Shipbuilding.
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 an active buyer at Hengli in recent months. Late last year, the Andreas Martinos-led group joined the latest round of LR2 tanker ordering at the yard, signing up for six newbuildings as part of a broader renewal and growth programme.
While the owner has more 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 its dry bulk and container operations under Minerva Dry, Minerva Marine operates a fleet of around 50 crude and product tankers. The company currently lists seven suezmaxes on its website, built between 2006 and 2018, with the latest order set to further refresh the segment.
