The tanker takeover wave
Ownership consolidation within the tanker sector is creating stronger counterparties for oil shippers
The tanker business, with its legacy of family ownership and outsized egos, used to be notoriously averse to consolidation. No more. M&A activity in the tanker space is surging, a trend with significant consequences for oil exporters, refiners and traders. The list of deals is long and getting longer. Last year, Capital Product Partners agreed to merge its tanker fleet with Diamond S Shipping, Navios Midstream was folded into Navios Acquisition, Euronav took over Gener8 Maritime, and BW Tankers announced plans to explore a merger with Hafnia Tankers. The year before, Scorpio Tankers bought Navig8 Product Tankers, DHT acquired the very large crude carrier (VLCC) fleet of BW Group, and Tee
Also in this section
29 January 2026
Caught between LNG risks from across the Atlantic and the wounds from Russian gas dependence, Europe needs more than a simple diversification strategy
28 January 2026
The alliance looks to bolster market management credibility by bringing greater clarity and unity to output cuts and producer capacity later in 2026
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
