Tanker giant Teekay has turned from seller to buyer, interrupting a lucrative streak of vessel disposals with the acquisition of a rare modern suezmax tanker. According to Splash sources in the sale and purchase (S&P) market, Teekay is paying just under $64.5m for the 157,400 dwt Nordic Thunder, a 2017-built ship constructed by Hyundai Samho in South Korea.
The seller, Norwegian leasing firm Sole Shipping, offloaded the seven-year-old vessel as modern suezmax sales remain limited and discreetly priced. The ship has now been renamed Ulsan Spirit, joining Teekay’s 21-strong suezmax fleet, which averages about 15 years in age.
This acquisition marks a reversal in Teekay’s recent strategy. The company has reportedly earned around $236m so far this year from the sale of seven suezmaxes, capitalising on strong secondhand market demand.
The Ulsan Spirit is now the youngest tanker in the fleet and continues Teekay’s longstanding naming tradition of using the Spirit suffix.
Just nine such suezmaxes have been sold globally in this age group in 2025.
