VLCC FLEET (Crude Oil)
The global VLCC fleet stands at approximately 880 vessels Argus Media, though over 130 VLCCs aged 20 years or older remain in employment — compared to less than 20 just five years ago gCaptain
As of March 2026, a 5-year-old VLCC was valued at $140M — while a newbuild cost $128.5M, meaning secondhand now commands an 8.9% premium over new iMarine
Spot rates on the ME-China route averaged $95,922/day in early 2026 — with a peak rate mid-March of $423,736/day, a 502% spike vs October 2025 Argus Media
VLCC Ownership Power Shift
Sinokor is now the largest single commercial VLCC operator, projected to independently control at least 24% of the VLCC spot fleet in 2026 — an unprecedented level of concentration Breakwave Advisors
MSC (Gianluigi Aponte) has filed to acquire 50% of Sinokor Maritime, marking the world's largest container line's entry into energy tankers FreightWaves
LNG FLEET
As of July 2025, the global LNG carrier fleet included 747 in-service vessels and 328 on order; the 1,000th LNG carrier is expected by June 2027 Riviera
Current newbuild prices for a conventional 174,000 cbm LNG carrier range from $200–220M — Korean-built at $215–220M, Chinese-built at $200–210M Shipfinex
Nakilat (Qatar) is the world's largest LNG carrier owner with 69 vessels and over 9 million cubic metres of combined capacity — about 12% of global LNG fleet capacity