Emanuele Lauro-led Scorpio Tankers has shipped out twelve Korean-built MR vessels this year, eying the half-a-billion mark in sales in the 50,000 dwt segment before the year ends.

Last week, the Monaco-headquartered outfit revealed it had struck a deal to sell two 2014-built 50,000 dwt scrubber-fitted ships, STI San Antonio and STI Texas City, at $42.5m each. Since then, a third sale appears to be in the making, with sales registers reporting that a sister ship is on its way out, the STI Opera, with a price tag of $41m. The three tankers are the youngest ships sold this year by Scorpio. Over the weekend, broking sources tied Chilean Maritime Company, CMC, to the confirmed duo. This owner added two same-sized, similar-age tankers from Scorpio in 2017.

Other takers of Scorpio ships are now emerging. This summer, Indian owner Great Eastern Shipping revealed its product tanker fleet renewal programme and that it had added a 2013-built MR with delivery by the end of September at an undisclosed price. This ship has now been revealed to be the STI Beryl. Greek owner Aerio has also emerged with two Scorpio MRs that were sold this summer.