1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, and welcome to Bloomberg Intelligence Talking Transports podcast. 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Lee Klaskau, Senior Freight Transportation Logistics analyst 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg Intelligence, Bloomberg's in house research arm. Before diving 4 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: in a public service announcement. Your support is instrumental in 5 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: our ability to keep bringing great guests, great content to you. 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: If you haven't already, please take a moment to follow, 7 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: rate and share the podcast. We appreciate your support. So 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 1: I'm really excited about today We're going to talk about 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: the crew tanker market with Swain Max nist Haarfeld, President 10 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: and CEO of DHT, a VLCC operator. Swain is an 11 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: industry veteran with over thirty years experience in the marine 12 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: shipping industry and it has been with DHD since twenty ten. 13 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us on the podcast. 14 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 2: Thank you very much, Lee, appreciate it to be on 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: your podcast. 16 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: So vlccs, I know what it is, what it is, 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: but could you give our audience a little sense what 18 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: is a VLCC vessel? 19 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: So the acronym describes it's a very large crude carrier 20 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: and these are the biggest tankers that floats around, also 21 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 2: referred to as supertankers. Each hip carried two million barrels 22 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 2: of oil, so it's a significant size of cargo. 23 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: All right, great, And so what markets do VLCs typically serve? 24 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: So they transport feedstock into the oil refiners and oil 25 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 2: is typically produced for this purpose in the Middle East, 26 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: also in West Africa, increasingly in Latin America and also 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: now of course in the US. And then we bring 28 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: these cargoes to the refiners and the biggest customers are 29 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: typically in Asia. 30 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: Okay, are your customers the refineries? Who are your customers? 31 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: So it's a mix. It's the integrated oil companies or 32 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: big oil or oil majors as they typically refer to. 33 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: It's also national oil companies such as Petrobrass for instance 34 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: in South America. But it is also directly with the 35 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: refiners if they buy oil on a delivered basis or 36 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: whether they don't buy it on the keyside from the 37 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: exporting side. So we have a mix of clients. 38 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: And do these ships operate in the spot market the 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: contractual market? What's the mix there? 40 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 2: So the typical leach the sea market is a spot market. 41 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 2: There is also some term business. We currently have twenty 42 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: percent on term contracts but we also have something which 43 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: is referred to as contract of a fraightments That might 44 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 2: be volume contracts, but without a fixed freight rate, is 45 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 2: more market related. 46 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: All right, great, and given where rates are today, business 47 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: is good. 48 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: Business is very good, and we are on a very 49 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: exciting trajectory, I believe. 50 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: Okay, And can you talk about, you know, where freight 51 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: rates were even before you know what's going on in 52 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: the Red Sea, because obviously that's had a positive impact 53 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: on ten miles. So can you talk about kind of 54 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: supply demand dynamics in the VLCC market even before we 55 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: had the issue in the Red Sea. 56 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 2: So last year, are fleet on average in the spot 57 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: market made just above fifty thousand dollars a day. And 58 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: to put that in a historical context, the average earnings 59 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: over the last twenty five years was forty one thousand 60 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 2: dollars a day. It was a good market even without 61 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 2: the disruptions in the Red Seed. I think it's fair 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 2: to add that VCS is not really a very active, 63 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: you know, modor transportation in the Red Sea. A VLCC 64 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: is so big it cannot go fully loaded through the 65 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: zeros Canal. It can only carry about half its cargo 66 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: so it's not so often that this is being done. 67 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: There's been some exports from Saudi Arabia on the Red 68 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,119 Speaker 2: Sea side, but that is now sort of shut down 69 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: in an air term, I think, so that's shifted now 70 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: over to the middle eastern side of the other side 71 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 2: of the peninsula. So freight rates for vccs was not 72 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: really that impacted by and by these incidents or events 73 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: taking place in the rates. It's more for smaller ships 74 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 2: that have been more active trading that area. So we 75 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 2: had a very good market despite these did these events 76 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: taking place. 77 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: And so you know, you mentioned they weren't directly impacted 78 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: by because they can't traverse into the Sewe's canal fully loaded. 79 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: But has it been like a waterfall effect, so the 80 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: smaller ships maybe you know, are getting taken up and 81 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: so that so people are just looking for capacity anywhere 82 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: they can get it. 83 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 2: So I wouldn't say it's sort of a Sero hundred 84 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 2: game because there's been some exports from the Red Sea 85 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: and you would occasionally you could go up to the 86 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: Zeus Canal, you can unload half the cargo, have it 87 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 2: transated in pipeline along the ship and then reloaded on 88 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 2: the other side of the canal, but it's not a 89 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: big part of the markets. So of course, some smaller 90 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: ships the Zoo's Maxis in particular, that are you know, 91 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 2: named after being able to go fully loaded through the 92 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 2: Zeus Canal. Some of those ships are now being diverted 93 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: around South Africa and of course the expanding transportation distances 94 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: in general, so the whole tanker fleet is sort of 95 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 2: reducing its productivity in a sort of fair way to 96 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 2: put it, because it just longer transportation distances. But I 97 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: think the core of the VALSC market is that the 98 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 2: Atlantic basin is essentially long oil. It doesn't need all 99 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 2: the oil as being produced in West Africa and the 100 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 2: North Sea in the US and Latin America. So this 101 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: oil is increasingly going to Asia and is really the 102 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 2: trade for the val c c's big ships. All the 103 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: receivers have got big ports, they prefer big ships, and 104 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 2: these transportation distances are expanding. 105 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: And when going to Asia, is its primarily China or 106 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: is it mixed all across the region. 107 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 2: So China is now the biggest importer of oil in 108 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: Asia and also in the world, but of course also 109 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: we go to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, you know, Taiwan and 110 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 2: other countries. So there's also refiners in Southeast Asia in 111 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 2: Thailand and Singapore and also India. All these countries take 112 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 2: leaves disease. 113 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: So you know, the stuff that's going on the Red 114 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: Sea has had a pretty big impact on shipping. How 115 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: has it impacted DHD directly or has it not? Were 116 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: you I mean, maybe you don't go to the Sewes Canal, 117 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: but you know you might get oil on that side 118 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: of the Seuez Canal, So has it been an impact? 119 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: Are you avoiding the area altogether? 120 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 2: So now we are avoiding the area. But when these events, 121 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: so the first incidents took place, we had two ships 122 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 2: fully loaded in the Red Sea, so and they were 123 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,919 Speaker 2: coming out and they were heading to Asia with oil. 124 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: So of course our whole system security upper you know, 125 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 2: structures went on sort of the highest level, and we 126 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: were focused on getting our crew, our customer's cargon, our 127 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 2: ships of course safely out. So you know, we had 128 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 2: twenty four to seven focused on this over those few 129 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 2: days it took to get them out. We did this safely, 130 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: no no incidents for us. But since that it's sort 131 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: of easy decision to avoid the area in totality for us, 132 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: we sure you don't want to take unnecessary risks. So 133 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 2: and I think in generale in life is not too 134 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: difficult to do the right thing either. 135 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: So yeah, and since you're avoiding the area, are you 136 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: seeing a big jump in your insurance or it's pretty 137 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: much been the same because you are avoiding the area. 138 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: So there's a typical insurance called warrisk insurance, and that 139 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 2: is defined by which area you will trade your ship too. 140 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 2: So since you're not going to the area, the insurance 141 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 2: is not really being impacted. But if we wanted to 142 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 2: trade to the Red Sea, and of course it will 143 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:34,559 Speaker 2: be a significant additional premium to be paid. The market 144 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 2: works in a way that the customers normally will have 145 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 2: to pick up that additional insurance cost, so of course 146 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 2: it will impact the cost of the product to the 147 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 2: end user, but not directly for the shipowner. 148 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it seems like we're in early innings of a 149 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: long term rate cycle, positive rate cycle for the tanker 150 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: industry because the supply and demand dynamics that are going on. 151 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: You know, in past you've been in the industry for 152 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: over thirty years, you've seen booms, You've seen bus How 153 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: long do you think this current cycle can be Given 154 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: where the order book is today, I. 155 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: Think we are on our way into a recovery that 156 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 2: will have some legs. And now in my career, I 157 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 2: think I've only been this constructive on the market once before, 158 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: and that was in two thousand and three and we 159 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 2: had a fantastic period from four to eight. I think 160 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 2: the forces that play today is that we have, you know, 161 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 2: continued increase in oil demount expected this year to grow 162 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 2: by about one and a half percent and continue another 163 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 2: one and a half percent next year. This doesn't maybe 164 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 2: sound so much for people, but if you look at 165 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 2: global demount today is rough one hundred and two million 166 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 2: barrels per day. Forty percent of this is seaborne, So 167 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 2: one and a half percent growth of which the predominant 168 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 2: part is going to be seaborne, is a meaningful add 169 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: on to the sort of forty two million barrels per 170 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 2: that is currently being transported by a bio s. So 171 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 2: this is the one pillar. The second pillar is that 172 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 2: the transportation distances are increasing. As I alluded to, there's 173 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: more oil coming from the Atlantic, and we've seen over 174 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 2: the last now year and a half that Opek has 175 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 2: been cutting production, and my view on this is that 176 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 2: they recognize that the producers in Atlantic are not going away. 177 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 2: They cannot outcompete them, so they have to allocate some 178 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 2: market share to these producers to keep prices where they are. 179 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 2: And I think Opek with Sali a UPco in particular, 180 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: are very focused on price. So this is adding demand 181 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 2: for our fleet or for the fleet in general. And 182 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 2: this comes at the time when there's no fleet growth 183 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 2: and a rapidly aging fleet. So these are two forces 184 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 2: are pulling in opposite directions and creating a very constructive 185 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 2: market scenario. And I think it will take quite a 186 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: long time to actually destroy that if you were to 187 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 2: overbuild it, you know, oversupply the market. 188 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: And it takes a long time to build a ship, right, 189 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: that's correct. How long does it take between when you 190 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: order a ship until you get it delivered? 191 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 2: So today, if you call sort of the big shipyards 192 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 2: that build their disease, the ship will be delivered in 193 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 2: twenty twenty seven, okay, and probably in the middle and 194 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 2: increasing the second half. So it takes a good three 195 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 2: years to have it delivered. And this is the result 196 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,599 Speaker 2: of the shipyards that can build these big ships that 197 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 2: are very busy building gas carriers for LNG in particular, 198 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 2: but also for LPG and other gas types. So there's 199 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 2: also lead time on equipment because capacity after the financial 200 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 2: crisis was built down in a way, and these equipment 201 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 2: manufacturers are also involved in many other industries to deliver equipment, 202 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 2: so it is not just the construction time itself takes 203 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 2: less than the year, but to get all the kit together, 204 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 2: to get the ship delivered and have space and the 205 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 2: big dry docks to build them, that takes a long time. 206 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: Today, you know when someone buys a new share, whether 207 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: it's DHD or another player. Obviously every scenario is different, 208 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: but like roughly, what does someone have to put down 209 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 1: and what percentage do they finance when they're buying a 210 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: new VLCC vessel. 211 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 2: So typically today you will pay four installments of ten 212 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 2: percent up to delivery, and you pay sixty percent on 213 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 2: delivery and the events these installments will be related to 214 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 2: certain milestones in the construction period, so that's sort of 215 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 2: the norm. You can negotiate this a little bit back 216 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 2: and forth with the shipyards, but that's the typical way 217 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 2: to pay. 218 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: Do they have to put like so but you can 219 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: finance that and maybe put twenty percent of your own 220 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: capital down. Is that how it typically works or is it? 221 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 2: We have four ships on order now, but weeple financed 222 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 2: all the installments up to delivery with the equity or 223 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: cash flow from operations. And then the shipyards typically they 224 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 2: will have to provide you with a refundant guarantee in 225 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 2: case something goes wrong when the ship cannot be delivered, 226 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 2: but we only go to the big shipyards so that 227 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 2: there's no real risk for that in our case. Right. 228 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: You know, there's a lot of talk about, you know, 229 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: lowering emissions in the shipping industry, zero missions by twenty fifty. 230 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: I think the latest is how is DHD going about 231 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: trying to reach that goal? Because it is difficult from 232 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: what I understand, because a lot of the alternative fuels 233 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: really haven't been tested or the availability is really not there. 234 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,959 Speaker 2: So this is a big and important question, and I 235 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 2: will spend a little bit of time on this, but 236 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 2: just looking starting with DHD first and our fleet today, 237 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 2: we are on the right side of the trajectory of 238 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 2: what is expected of our industry. And then secondly, we 239 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 2: have now four ships on order that are of the 240 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 2: latest design with new engines, and they will have a 241 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 2: lower fuel consumption and also lower emissions and they will 242 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 2: basically be a compliant life cycle so for twenty years. 243 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,839 Speaker 2: But if you take a step back, I think people 244 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 2: have been a little bit restrictive in ordering new ships 245 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 2: because there's been uncertainties on this topic. So in February 246 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 2: last year, we engaged two other world's leading energy research 247 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: firms in doing some studies for US, and we engage 248 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 2: two of them but separately, so they were not aware 249 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 2: of each other. We wanted to sort of check a 250 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 2: little bit about the outcome and see if it's all 251 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 2: throw added up. So this took some ten months, and 252 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 2: what we wanted to find out was not the technical 253 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 2: feasibility on board on a ship for these fuels, because 254 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 2: that we know in house, but we wanted to try 255 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 2: to understand a few things. So one we wanted to 256 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 2: understand the current and expected committed Capex to build production 257 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 2: facilities for green ammonia and blue or biometanol, which are 258 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: sort of potential fuels for our industry. We also then 259 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 2: wanted to understand what are the cost of these projects 260 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 2: so it would give an indication not with the cost 261 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,439 Speaker 2: of the fuels, and also where geographically would these production 262 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 2: facilities be located, how would they deliver and deliver these 263 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 2: fuels to the market. And lastly, are the other industries 264 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 2: that will compete to have a different willingness or ability 265 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 2: to pay for these fuels to what maybe the maritime 266 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 2: industry would have. So luckily, in a way, these two 267 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 2: reports were highly aligned and were very credible in my view, 268 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 2: and these were bottom up analysis, and of course, as 269 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 2: all research, has a number of assumption to them. But 270 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 2: I think the key output for us was that these 271 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 2: fuels will be limited in production capacity, so they cannot 272 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 2: service the entire industry. Secondly, they will be very expensive, 273 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 2: so you would need either the customer or some other 274 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 2: type of economic incentives for the fuel to be applied. 275 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 2: If you look at the maritime industry, it currently consumes 276 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 2: about three and a half million barrels per day in fuel, 277 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 2: three and a half percent of the oil market. If 278 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 2: our industry is able to decarbonize, say one third of 279 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 2: our space, it means that two thirds will still remain 280 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 2: with our existing applications. And I think given the size 281 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 2: of the leaves sees the big engines also being you know, 282 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 2: transporting over very long distances is open sea with very 283 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 2: limited fuel fueling stations, if you can call it that. 284 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 2: We will probably be one of the last frontiers that 285 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 2: will adopt other things. So what's important for us then 286 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 2: is to have the most efficient equipment, maybe over time 287 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 2: increasingly start to blend in biofuels as or if they 288 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 2: become available, because that can be mixed with our existing 289 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 2: fuel and used on existing equipment we have, and that 290 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 2: will of course also then over time reduce the footprint 291 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 2: of carbon and things like that. 292 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: And so if I heard you heard you correctly. So 293 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: the ships that you have in order, they're not dual fuels, 294 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: it's just it's good old load. 295 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. So we have the sort of conventional technology, but 296 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 2: the latest design and these engines have not been built 297 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 2: yet for v SC, so we're the first ones out 298 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 2: of the gate to do this. But what we have 299 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 2: done we have what is called a class notation, which 300 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 2: means that the ships are from a layered perspective design 301 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 2: perspective prepared to apply alternative fuels. And we can then 302 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: do that either for LNG ammonia or metanol. But if 303 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 2: we were to operate with those fuels, it would require 304 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 2: additional CAPEX, and it will really be driven by say 305 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 2: a customer who will come to us and say, we 306 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 2: would like you to apply fuel X and that will 307 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 2: require you to apply CAPEX and the rate that will 308 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 2: have to hire the ship for a term contract, well 309 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 2: then reflect that additional investment. 310 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: And what was the fuel efficiency differential between maybe your 311 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: oldest ship in your fleet versus these new ones that 312 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: you're ordering. 313 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 2: That's quite significant. That's some thirty five percent less fuel 314 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 2: conssumption and then related emissions. So this has not been 315 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 2: a straight line trajectory. We had a big change which 316 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 2: ships built from twenty fifteen onwards where we got what 317 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 2: people referred to as eco designs and they were you know, 318 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,360 Speaker 2: meaningfully more economical than prior to science. And I think 319 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 2: for the listeners, if you consider your car, for instance, 320 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 2: you will have seen that cars have become much more 321 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 2: fuel efficient over the years, and this sort of happened 322 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 2: with a big step for maritime transportation in twenty fifteen. 323 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 2: The ships we're building now they are expected to be 324 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 2: some six percent you know, more fuel efficient than the 325 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 2: most recent ships we have delivered some five years ago. 326 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 2: So there is still improvement going on. 327 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: So, in your opinion, do you think like the zero 328 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: emission goals that the industry has may have to be 329 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: pushed out further when the reality hits. 330 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 2: I think, for what we know today, it I think 331 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 2: it's a it's a challenge, and I think people need 332 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 2: to realize that the energy transition will not happen without 333 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 2: energy security. So you have to operate existing and sort 334 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 2: of well known systems today for a goodwie longer to 335 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 2: have energy security until new technologies and fuels and other 336 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 2: alternatives of energy can be applied. 337 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: Okay, so just switching gears a little bit. You know, 338 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 1: we talked about the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal. Obviously 339 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: vlccs are a lot too big to get through there. 340 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: Has the impact of the water levels on the Panama 341 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: Canal have any sort of ripple effect to the vlccs. 342 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 2: The Panama Canal is also, you know, has some restrictions 343 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 2: so the these cannot go in at all because they're 344 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 2: too wide. So that has had a more sort of 345 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 2: impact or big impact actually on the LPG market because 346 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,239 Speaker 2: those ships were transitting quite often and certainly they had 347 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 2: to expand distances. So but for VS, the c SED 348 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 2: that has not really influenced. 349 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: Us, so it really hasn't impacted the tanker industry very much. Okay, cool. 350 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: You know, when you're thinking about capital, what are your 351 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: priorities at DHD in terms of you know, obviously it's 352 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: a very cyclical business, so sometimes you have a lot 353 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: of cash to spend and sometimes you don't correct. 354 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 2: So our balance sheet is one of the strongest in 355 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 2: the industry. We have very low leverage below twenty percent, 356 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 2: and this is by design. And you know, in relation 357 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 2: to this, we also have a clearly defined dividend policy, 358 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 2: so we pay out one hundred percent of our ordinary 359 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 2: net income as a quarterly cash dividend. But there's a 360 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 2: difference between our cash break even and our P and 361 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 2: L break even or in net income break even, and 362 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 2: this leaves us with some discretionary cash flows that we 363 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 2: can apply to other things than dividends, and that will 364 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 2: typically be capex in relation to investing in the fleet 365 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 2: or share buybacks, or we can prepaid that on top 366 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 2: of sort of scheduled amortization. Currently, we will prioritize this 367 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:09,959 Speaker 2: cash flow to the installments on the new bolts that 368 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 2: we have contracted, so up to delivery so this with 369 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,719 Speaker 2: some reserves do you have on hand, will sort of 370 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 2: finance the equity compo component of these new bolts. 371 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: Does do you do much in the M and A 372 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: space or do you do you try to grow through 373 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: buying companies or is it your buying assets. 374 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 2: So since twenty ten, when I've been running this business, 375 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 2: we have done two M and A transactions, one in 376 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 2: twenty fourteen and one in twenty seventeen, but they were 377 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 2: not public to public, so we acquired privately owned fleet 378 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 2: and then took them into the public company. So we 379 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 2: are always open to look at this. But I think 380 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 2: we have a quite a rigid system in place to 381 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 2: be disciplined on how to create value for our shareholders, 382 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 2: how to create the earning secretion, how to not distort 383 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 2: our balance sheet, you know, change it too much. So 384 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 2: a number of metrics has to sort of be fulfilled, 385 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 2: so to say, and that makes it sometimes at all 386 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 2: order to do a deal. Yeah. I think also, you know, 387 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 2: doing these investment bankers in general are the people talking 388 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 2: mostly about it because of course incentivized to do them. 389 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 2: But it's hard to make it work frankly, So we 390 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 2: don't want to grow just for size. That's not our ambition. 391 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 2: Our sort of goal is to be one of the 392 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 2: most respected companies, necessarily to be the biggest, and in 393 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 2: also that context, we hope to be considered as maybe one, 394 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 2: if not the most investable tanker company also in the 395 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 2: public space, so that's sort of more important for us. 396 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: So you don't get much of a benefit from increasing 397 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: your scale or your fleet. 398 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 2: I think we should not be sort of meaningfully smaller 399 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 2: than what we are. We could, you know, of course, 400 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 2: be a bit bigger. We could have handles some growth 401 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 2: without changing our GNA cost, for instance, So if we 402 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 2: were to acquire five ships or maybe up to ten, 403 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 2: there will hardly be any change in our GNA cost. 404 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 2: So of course that will be beneficial for the owners 405 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 2: of the company, But the deal of course has to 406 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 2: be driven by some other economics rather than just GNA benefits. 407 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: Is the VLCC market a consolidated market or is there 408 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: a fragmented market. 409 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 2: Like most shipping markets, is quite fragmented, and you have 410 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 2: some big state owned entities. So there are two large 411 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 2: state owned Chinese companies that combined on roughly ten percent 412 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 2: of the LEFCC fleet, Saudi Arabia, for one, They have 413 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 2: a big fleet, you know, representing five percent maybe all 414 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 2: of the market, and then you have two big Japanese companies. 415 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 2: There are public but they predominantly service the Japanese markets. 416 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 2: So outside that there are of course some public entities, 417 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 2: but the number of private owners so it's fairly fragmented industry. 418 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 2: So I think it's hard to think you can meaningfully 419 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 2: consolidate the space. 420 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, we touched upon a couple of geopolitical things going 421 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: on in the world, the war in Ukraine, Russia's war 422 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: with Ukraine. How has that impacted the tanker market and 423 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: specifically the VLCC market, And you know, assuming peace happens, 424 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: hopefully it does sooner rather than later, what would that 425 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: do to the market when it resets. 426 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,959 Speaker 2: I think firstly, that conflict has had a big impact 427 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 2: on the tanker market. So Russia, you know, typically delivered 428 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,439 Speaker 2: a lot of the oil produced in the Baltic to 429 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 2: Europe and also some of it produced in the Black Sea, 430 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 2: and those holes have now been rerouted and most of 431 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 2: that oil has been going to Asia. And this is 432 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 2: now being done by a fleet now referred to as 433 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 2: the shadow fleet because it's not fully compliant and these 434 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:02,679 Speaker 2: ships cannot really do businessmous, Yes, the Western majors and 435 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 2: so on. So that ended up being a major disruption 436 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 2: in trade. And of course then europead to source oil 437 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 2: from elsewhere, and so all of this has had a 438 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 2: big change in all flows. 439 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: Can I ask you questions? So when you talk about 440 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: the shadow fleet, they're not most there's not very many 441 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: vlccs in that shadow fleet. It's mostly smaller ships. Or 442 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 1: are there VLC seas in the shadow fleet? 443 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 2: Not roughly one thousand ships in the shadow fleet, but 444 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty of them are vv diseas. Oh wow, 445 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 2: so it's a big trunk of it. But it's really 446 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 2: the older part of the fleet. So this fleet, the 447 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 2: VSC fleet in that shadow trade, is on average over 448 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 2: twenty years of age. So this is meant in a 449 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 2: way that you know, a lot of the smaller ships 450 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 2: that were involved in this Russian trade, they've had you know, 451 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 2: better rates compared to the vvccs over the last eighteen 452 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 2: twenty four months, which of course I personally found very annoying. 453 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 2: But I see now, you know, sanctions are starting to 454 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 2: buy it from from the US, and you see a 455 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 2: number of the trades and deliverables or deliveries from from Russia. 456 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 2: It is becoming difficult, and the reals sees are sort 457 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 2: of grinding it way through normal transport economics because it 458 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,440 Speaker 2: is the most efficient type of trade. So I think 459 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 2: eventually we will come out on top, as we normally 460 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 2: should do so, but it has taken time, and it's 461 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 2: been a rough period for for all tankers, but smaller 462 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 2: tankers have had a bona for for for quite a 463 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:29,199 Speaker 2: while on. 464 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 1: This So broadly speaking, would you say the Russia's war 465 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: with Ukraine has had a more of an impact on 466 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: tanker rates from a positive standpoint than the dislocation created 467 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: by the Red Sea? 468 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,679 Speaker 2: Oh? Yes, big time? So okay, all right, So. 469 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: When you guys are thinking about buying used assets, what 470 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: is the number one criteria? Is it valuation? Like what 471 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: are you looking for when you're when you're looking at 472 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: it to bring in an asset into the fleet. 473 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 2: This is the capital intensive industries and these ships are expensive, 474 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 2: so price, of course is of importance, but it's also 475 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 2: important that the ship has been built at the right yard, 476 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 2: had been in the right prior ownership, and been maintained 477 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 2: up to sort of standards that we value, and also 478 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 2: that it has the right design that sort of works 479 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 2: for at least our preferred trading routes and customers. So 480 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 2: we have a number of sort of metrics that we 481 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 2: would like to fulfill, but of course various value is 482 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,159 Speaker 2: very important, all right. 483 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: And then do do you guys have any kind of 484 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 1: long term targets goals? Do you have a dividend target 485 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: that you try to reach? 486 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 2: So our dividend policy is one hundred percent of net income, 487 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 2: but of course it's variable with earnings, so earnings in 488 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 2: our industry fluctuate. So the target you could say, is 489 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 2: of course to be able to honor and maintain that 490 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 2: policy for a long while, so that you know, our 491 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,959 Speaker 2: investors at least have visibility, they know what to expect, 492 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 2: and we provide the quarterly updates on earnings, both you know, 493 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 2: preceding quarter and the forthcoming quarters, so at least gives 494 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 2: some visibility. But of course the industry is cyclical. But 495 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 2: as I alluded to, we are not really focusing on size. 496 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 2: We want to be a highly respected company. We do 497 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 2: a lot of repeat business with some of the most 498 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 2: demanding customers out there, and it's important for us to 499 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 2: stay in that game and for them to continue to 500 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,479 Speaker 2: give us business. And then I think working with these 501 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:38,400 Speaker 2: clients that are so demanding, they make us a better 502 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 2: company because they have high expectations of our services, our 503 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 2: safety record, our people and so so we want to 504 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 2: stick with our knittings, so to say, and you know, 505 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 2: maintain that quality level. 506 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: Right, and so you prioritize dividend over share buybacks. 507 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 2: At DHD, we've done some share by backs in the past, 508 00:27:57,640 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 2: but have been more optimistic and they've not been in 509 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 2: instead of paying out. The evidences have been in addition, 510 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 2: and we have viewed them then typically that this is 511 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 2: like buying ships in the market. So when the share 512 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 2: price have been dislocated from the underlying asset values in 513 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,479 Speaker 2: the company, i e. That the stock is trading at 514 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 2: a big discount to a break up value, then we 515 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 2: looked at it as a good investment. So in twenty one, 516 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 2: for a period we brought back almost six percent of 517 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 2: the company because there was a big dislocation in the 518 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 2: share price and where asset prices were moving. So in 519 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 2: this environment now we are trading at the premium to 520 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 2: NAV and asset prices you know, are reflecting the current 521 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 2: rate environment. Possibly, so this is not the time for 522 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,680 Speaker 2: us to buy backstock, so we will prioritize our dividends. 523 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 1: Okay, great, you mentioned earlier you know what, I think 524 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: you mentioned fifty thousand dollars a day. I don't know 525 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: if you can give any statistics, but in the first quarter, 526 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: what is your average ship fixed that you have fixed? 527 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 2: So we provided a business update on the roughly, I 528 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 2: think it was the tenth of January for the bookings 529 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 2: to date for the first quarter, and that was in 530 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 2: the mid fifties, around the fifty five number. I think 531 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 2: this year will be a better year than last year, 532 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 2: and I think also twenty five will very likely be 533 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 2: better than twenty four. So this is sort of gradually 534 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 2: moving upwards. So exactly what the rate would be, it's 535 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 2: hard to predict, and I've been too long in the 536 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 2: industry to try to give a number on that. But 537 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 2: I'm quite you know, I'm very confident in what's ahead 538 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 2: of us, and I think we have now a good 539 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 2: visibility for at least the next three years, if not longer. 540 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: Okay, And there is a lot of seasonality with the 541 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: crude market, right, so can you talk about seasonality in 542 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: terms of rates for the vocc market like when they're 543 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: high and when they're usually lower. 544 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 2: So this was, at least in the past, it was 545 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 2: very pronounced because oil trade was then predominantly in Atlantic 546 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 2: and as you know, winter season and summer season, and 547 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 2: you had the heating season and driving season and turn 548 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 2: around in refineries and all of that sort of created 549 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 2: quite a lot of seasonality. This has changed a little 550 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 2: bit as Asia has become the biggest market really for 551 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 2: consuming oil, and so seasonality is somewhat different, and it's 552 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 2: I would say it's less pronounced, but you do still 553 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 2: have quite a lot of volatility between quarters and also 554 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 2: within the quarters. And I would encourage investors to look 555 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 2: more at the averages rather than be too fixated on 556 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 2: whether the rate is x or y in a particular quarter, 557 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 2: because I think it typically can take the focus away 558 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 2: from what's actually going on. So that's why we started 559 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 2: to provide these business updates once a quarter, so hopefully it, 560 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 2: you know, gives investors a little bit more steer on 561 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 2: what the market will be. 562 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: Okay, and so how did you get into You've been 563 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: in the industry for over thirty years. Was what was 564 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: your draw to the marine shipping industry? 565 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,760 Speaker 2: So I'm turning sixty now. So I had a different 566 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 2: job before I was in shipping. I was actually a musician, 567 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 2: professional musician, So where'd you play? I played drums, We 568 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 2: had a band, and we signed a record contract to 569 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 2: EMI back in I think it was eighty three. When 570 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 2: I know this, man, it's not Spotify, so it can 571 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 2: be found. It's called small. 572 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: Affairs, Small affairs there you go, all right, check it out. 573 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 2: But you know, it's We had sort of a good start. 574 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 2: We had a mini hit and then we made a 575 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 2: second album and that was you know, was not so 576 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 2: successful commercially, and it was tough to really make a living. 577 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 2: Although I love music. I've been with, you know, doing 578 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: music since I was three years old. But you know, 579 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 2: Norway is a country where shipping is a very big 580 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 2: industry and it's sort of an industry you can read 581 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 2: about in the newspapers every day, and you know, I 582 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 2: know people in the shipping industry. My wife had classmates 583 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,080 Speaker 2: from school that were in shipping, so you know, we 584 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 2: talked about this and I felt interested in that, and 585 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 2: I decided to try. And you know, there was an 586 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 2: advertisement from a well known, highly regarded shipping company and 587 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 2: then we're looking for an experience charging manager. I was not, 588 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 2: but I nevertheless applied and tried to convince them that 589 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 2: maybe I had some potential. So I was lucky they 590 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 2: gave me a chance, which I think was you know, 591 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 2: a bit bold. I didn't have a you know, financial 592 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 2: education on any of that sort, so, but they gave 593 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 2: me a chance, and then I think I took it 594 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 2: so and I had a very good start. It was 595 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 2: a great company to you know, start to learn. It 596 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 2: was integrated with all sorts of activities in house. And 597 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 2: then my career moved on. And I really love shipping. 598 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 2: I think it's an industry. Once you get it under 599 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 2: your skin, it started to sort of get rid of it, 600 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 2: and it's it's a truly international business. It's a lot 601 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 2: of you know, interesting people you get to meet. You're 602 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 2: sort of involved in geopolitics. You're involved in oil, which 603 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 2: is at least for our business, which is the biggest 604 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 2: commodity on the planet. So it's really exciting and it's 605 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 2: never a dull moment to work in this industry. 606 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: And when you were learning about the industry, or maybe 607 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: just today, is there a book about shipping, whether it's 608 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: fiction or nonfiction that you kind of love and you 609 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: would recommend people to read if they want to know 610 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: more about what the industry is about. 611 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 2: There's there's several good books, but then I think that 612 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 2: the most recent book, I think may be the most entertaining, 613 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 2: is not only about shipping, but it's very related. It's 614 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 2: called The World for Sale. The World is for Sale, 615 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 2: and it's a recent book and I think one of 616 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 2: the two writers is actually an next Bloomberg journalist if 617 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 2: I'm not wrong, and it, you know, talks really about 618 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 2: the oil trading business, also other commodities, but a lot 619 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 2: of about oil, and of course transportation is very related 620 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 2: to this. I think it's a very entertaining read for people. 621 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 2: So it's not the heavy read, but I think it's 622 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 2: good fun, so. 623 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 1: Great and you know, is there anything facing d HD 624 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: that kind of keeps you up at night? As you 625 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:08,839 Speaker 1: know an executive running a VLCC fleet. 626 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:11,799 Speaker 2: At the moment, I sleep well, but of course there 627 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 2: are occasions when you when you are awake at night, 628 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 2: you don't sleep so well. So this for instance, you know, 629 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 2: when we had the two ships in the Red Sea 630 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 2: in the end of last year, you know, with cargo 631 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,360 Speaker 2: and our people on board and all that. That was 632 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 2: not a very comfortable moment. You know, you want to 633 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 2: ensure that things go safely and you've you know, I 634 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,799 Speaker 2: was monitoring my messages all the time. What's going on? Right? 635 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 2: And that's a then you're not so comfortable. I think 636 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 2: other occasions are you know, when you have to make 637 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:45,799 Speaker 2: a big decision and then you think, have I made 638 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 2: the right decision or not? And you know, how comfortable 639 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,399 Speaker 2: are you on this decision? And so that of course 640 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 2: can also make you a bit more nervous. But I 641 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 2: think it's sort of it's healthy to be nervous if 642 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 2: you don't have those experiences, you know, the and maybe 643 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 2: you're too confident and that could be dentious, all right, 644 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:03,800 Speaker 2: it might have. 645 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 1: Might I make a suggestion that, like on your next 646 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 1: earnings call, maybe you do like a drum intro before 647 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: the call, maybe do rifting a little bit on the drums. 648 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 2: Well I wish, but I'm afraid my skills a would 649 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 2: be rusty nowadays. 650 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,759 Speaker 1: Okay, Well swayin. I just really appreciate your time for 651 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,360 Speaker 1: coming here. It's been a pleasure speaking to you and 652 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,640 Speaker 1: learning more about DHD and the VLCC market. 653 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:27,279 Speaker 2: Thank you. 654 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:27,440 Speaker 1: Lee. 655 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 2: I appreciate being on your podcasts. 656 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: And thanks for tuning in. If you like an episode, 657 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 1: please subscribe and leave a review. We've lined up a 658 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: number of great guests for the podcast. Check back to 659 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 1: hear conversations with C suite executives, shippers, regulators, and decision 660 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: makers within the freight markets. Also, if you have an 661 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 1: idea for a future episode, please hit me up on 662 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: the terminal or on Twitter at logistics Lee. Thanks everyone, 663 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: Take care,