By Keith Wallis

SINGAPORE, Nov 28 (Reuters)– Freight prices for huge unrefined providers (VLCCs), which increased to multi-month highs recently, can climb up better if there is a flurry of pre-Christmas hiring task, ship brokers claimed on Monday.

VLCC prices were additionally buoyed by a decrease in the variety of brand-new vessels being supplied as proprietors delayed distribution from late 2016 to very early 2017, brokers claimed.

“It should be busy this week because next week the Christmas parties start,” a European supertanker broker claimed on Monday.

But he claimed the variety of charters acquired for filling in the very first 10 days of December was less than anticipated.

“The number of tankers available for charter versus the number of expected cargoes looks quite balanced. What’s missing is the additional cargoes to push rates higher,” the broker included.

Charterers were taking care of more affordable vessels consisting of older tonnage and also recently fixed vessels which proprietors agreed to lease a reduced price.

“If owners of modern tonnage that command a premium can hold on then it will be good and we might just see 75-79 on the Worldscale measure,” a Singapore- based VLCC broker claimed.

A thrill of gas oil freights from Europe to Asia and also negative weather condition in the Mediterranean which sustained smaller sized Suezmax vessels additionally raised VLCC prices particularly in West Africa, brokers claimed.

“Our guys have fixed about five fuel oil cargoes (from Europe),” claimed Ashok Sharma, handling supervisor of shipbroker BRS-Baxi Far East inSingapore He approximated 10-15 gas oil freights had actually been acquired in total amount.

VLCC price from the Middle East to Japan stood at W70 on Friday, up from around W69.50 a week previously. It rose to W72 onNov 23, the highest possible because May 11.

Rate for VLCCs from West Africa to China increased to W70.75 on Friday from regarding W67.50 the previous week. It reached W71 onNov 24, the highest possible because April 5.

Charter price for an 80,000-dwt Aframax vessel from Southeast Asia to East Coast Australia increased to W98 on Friday, from W80.50 a week previously. It struck W99 onNov 24, the highest possible because April 27, complying with a rise in gas oil freights. (Reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Manolo Serapio Jr.)

( c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016.