Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, expanded its fleet of supertankers hired to transport oil to the U.S., Bloomberg reports.
The company chartered seven VLCCs to carry a total of about 14 million barrels in October, based on Optima Shipbrokers Ltd. Brokers report of tanker bookings.
Saudi Aramco charters vessels through its marine transportation unit Vela International Marine Ltd.
A one-way journey to the U.S. Gulf from Saudi Arabia takes about 40 days to complete, according to Optima, meaning that the cargoes will probably be unloaded mid-December.
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World Maritime News Staff, October 9, 2012; Image: Vela International Marine