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Greek shipowner Metrostar Management has sold its final two suezmax tankers to compatriot Delta Tankers, marking its full exit from the crude carrier business. Brokers said the Theodore Angelopoulos-led outfit has offloaded the 2021-built, 156,800 dwt Crude Levante and Crude Zephyrus, both constructed at New Times Shipbuilding in China, for about $78m each, or $156m in total. The two Tier III, BWTS-fitted tankers are due for special survey in mid-2026. Market players noted that the achieved prices are well above the original newbuilding levels of around $56m–57m for similar units ordered in China in 2018–19, reflecting continued strength in the suezmax market. The deal closes Metrostar’s chapter in the crude tanker trade, leaving the company focused solely on its product tanker fleet, which includes LR1s and LR2s. The company has been gradually reducing its exposure to the crude sector over the past years, having sold several aframax and suezmax units amid strong secondhand prices. For Delta Tankers, led by Diamantis Diamantidis, the acquisition expands an already significant suezmax fleet. Delta’s portfolio now includes around 30 tankers, mostly suezmaxes, along with several VLCCs and one aframax.
