Rising crude tanker earnings in recent weeks have triggered renewed momentum in the suezmax sale and purchase market, with transactions brisk&mdash;even among older tonnage&mdash;despite heightened scrutiny on the so-called dark fleet.Values for vintage ships remain unpredictable yet firm, often depending on survey timing, specifications, and overall condition. The latest deal sees Turkish owner Denizcilik parting with the 20-year-old <em>Ottoman Nobility</em> (150,000 dwt, built 2005, Hyundai Heavy) for around $27m, a level broadly in line with the last transaction.Greek magnate George Procopiou has also capitalised on the firming market. His Dynacom outfit sold the 2008-built <em>Samurai</em> (169,000 dwt, scrubber-fitted, Universal Shipbuilding) for approximately $39m to undisclosed interests. Now renamed <em>Gregal</em>, the ship has shifted to a Sierra Leone flag and been registered under a Liberia-based single-ship company. Market sources indicate that Indian interests are the likely buyer.Indian players have emerged as the most active in the suezmax space of late. The state-run Shipping Corporation of India is circulating a tender for two modern secondhand vessels, while Great Eastern has been involved on both the buying and selling sides. A few weeks ago, Splash reported Mumbai’s Seven Islands Shipping doubled its suezmax fleet with the $40m purchase of the 2009-built <em>Constantios</em>.