Italian oilfield services company Saipem has decided to buy Solstad Offshore’s pipelay vessel DLB Norce Endeavour.

The ship has been on charter from Solstad Offshore since December 2019, with a purchase option in the charter included.

“Saipem has now decided to declare the purchase option for DLB Norce Endeavour. Delivery of the vessel to Saipem is scheduled to April 2020,” Norway-based Solstad Offshore said.

The sale price of the vessel, which is currently moored near Karimunbesar Island in Indonesia, was not disclosed.

The 146m long barge can accommodate a crew of 256 and was built in Singapore by Keppel shipyard in 2010.

Transworld Group has bought its largest boxship to date. The Indian group has paid Conti Reederei $10.65m for the 11-year-old 4,872 TEU Ontario II.

According to Alphaliner, the Daewoo-built ship will be renamed OEL Badrinath and is set for new employment this month with CMA CGM subsidiary, ANL.

The current largest ships belonging to Transworld are the 4,252 TEU sister ships OEL Jumeirah and SSL Brahmaputra, both acquired three years ago.

The Transworld fleet now stands at 19 container vessels, with capacities ranging from 676 to 4,872 TEU.

Geneva-based Advantage Tankers has acquired a pair of Chinese-built Aframax tankers from Greek owner Olympic Shipping and Management, according to brokers.

Seasure Shipbroking and Advanced Shipping & Trading have reported the 2008-built sister vessels Olympic Sea and Olympic Sky as sold on subjects to Advantage Tankers for $21.5m each. The price is slightly higher than the market value according to VesselsValue, which is $20.83m for Olympic Sea and $21.1m for Olympic Sky.

Chinese owner Fujian Hengfeng has sealed a deal for the sale of two Japanese-built Panamax bulk carriers, according to brokers.

Sumitomo-built Everlucky (1996) and Evermerit (1995) have been sold to Chinese buyers for $3.8m and $3.6m respectively, multiple brokers are reporting. VesselsValues puts the market value and scrap value of the pair at $3.6m each.

The sale leaves Fujian Hengfeng with a fleet of just three vessels, made up of a handy bulk carrier and two mini bulkers.

Qatari bulk carrier owner S’hail Shipping has acquired the 2006-built 82,800 DWT Panamax bulk carrier Medi Hong Kong from Italian owner D’Amico Dry.

Shipbroking sources confirmed that the Tsuneishi Zosen-built vessel was sold to S’hail for a price of around $9.25m. MSI values the vessel at $9.7m.

S’hail Shipping was established in 2017 and has since built up its fleet through secondhand acquisitions, with this latest deal expanding the company’s fleet to eight bulk carriers.

Oman Shipping has acquired the 2015-built 63,700 DWT bulk carrier SBI Taurus as the company continues to expand its Ultramax fleet.

Multiple shipbroking sources confirmed that Scorpio Bulkers sold the Chinese-built vessel to Oman Shipping for a price of $18.5m, slightly higher than VesselsValue’s valuation of $17.4m.

Oman Shipping is primarily focused on tanker shipping with an owned fleet of 31 tankers, six LNG carriers and one LPG carrier. It entered the Ultramax bulker sector last year with the acquisition of two resale bulk carriers from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding.

Following the deal, the company’s bulker fleet will be expanded to seven vessels made up of four Capesizes and three Ultramaxes.

Sevenseas Investment Fund, an umbrella fund incorporated in Luxembourg, has acquired its first ever bulk carrier – the 2012-built 36,600 DWT handy bulker Federica.

The vessel was bought from Greek owner Super Eco Bulkers. While no price was revealed, VesselsValue’s valuation on the ship is $10.3m.

According to Sevenseas, the fund is looking to acquire and operate a modern fleet of the worlds’ most flexible dry bulk carriers, with self loaders / unloaders, from 30,000 up to 65,000 DWT and it has targeted vessels ideally four to 10 years old, built by Japanese, Korean or top-tier Chinese yards.

Sevenseas aims to fund acquisitions with up to 40% debt and deploy the vessels on the short-term charter market.

Belgium-based tanker owner Euronav has announced the sale of its 2003-built 150,000 DWT Suezmax tanker Finesse for a price of $21.8m.

The latest ship registration information shows the vessel has been renamed Aldus, although the identity of the new owner remains unknown.

Euronav said it considers regular fleet rejuvenation an important function of vessel management in providing quality services and following the sale its Suezmax fleet will have 26 vessels.

Earlier this month, Euronav acquired three resale newbuild VLCCs at DSME in South Korea.

Danish ship investment firm Navigare Capital Partners has acquired a 13,800 TEU mega containership as it continues to expand its boxship fleet.

VesselsValue data shows Navigare has brought in the 2014-built Thalassa Pistis from Greek owner Nikolas Lemos-led Enesel for an undisclosed price. The vessel is valued at $95.66m by VesselsValue.

It becomes the largest containership in Navigare’s fleet, which now consists of nine boxships, six tankers, three bulk carriers and one LNG carrier newbuilding.

Thalassa Pistis has been on a long-term charter with Evergreen Marine since January 2014. The contract is for a period of 10 years.

Earlier this month, Navigare also acquired 2015-built 3,500 TEU containership Niledutch Antwerpen from Dutch owner Niledutch.

Greek owner Performance Shipping, formerly Diana Containerships, continues its transformation into a pure-play aframax owner.

The company has acquired 2007-built aframax  FSL Shanghai from Singapore’s First Ship Lease Trust for $26m. The vessel, which is valued by MSI at $23.1m, is scheduled for delivery by the end of March.

The acquisition will see Performance Shipping’s fleet grow to five vessels made up of four aframaxes and a panamax containership.