By Keith Wallis

SINGAPORE, Dec 16 (Reuters)– Freight prices for large unrefined service providers (VLCCs), which reached a nine-month high today, are readied to stay strong on limited tonnage supply as well as solid freight quantities, ship brokers claimed.

“Owners are very bullish. Charterers have been trying to split cargoes into two smaller Suexmax parcels to try to cool VLCC rates but that hasn’t been working because there is no tonnage available,” a European supertanker broker claimed.

“Ship owners will try to push VLCC rates close to 100 on the Worldscale measure if they get a chance but I’m not sure that is going to work either.”

Charterers seemed keeping back some Middle East freights in an effort to check prices, the broker claimed.

Saudi Arabian freights for January packing, anticipated to find out for charter previously today, have yet to be launched.

“VLCC rates are probably going to remain firm for cargoes loaded in the first 10 days of January,” claimed Ashok Sharma, handling supervisor of ship broker BRS Baxi Far East.

Around 23 freights from the Middle East have actually been taken care of for packing up toJan 10, Sharma claimed.

Freight prices will consequently drop because of boosted vessel supply as recently constructed as well as fixed ships are supplied to proprietors by shipyards.

“I think rates for the second half of January will calm down. A lot of ships will become free after completing long voyages that will add to tonnage supply,” the European broker claimed.

About 135 freights from the Middle East were taken care of for December packing compared to 139 in October as well as 134 in November.

There is extra unpredictability over freight quantities following month after the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries accepted decrease manufacturing by 1.2 million barrels each day fromJan 1.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company informed its consumers that it will certainly reduce unrefined products by 3-5 percent however export quantities from Iraq will certainly climb to the highest degree because June.

VLCC prices from the Middle East as well as West Africa to Asia struck their highest degree because March 16 on Thursday.

VLCC prices from the Middle East to Japan rose to W88.5 from around W79 a week previously, equal to day-to-day incomes of $65,858, information on Thomson Reuters Eikon revealed.

Rate from West Africa to China climbed up near to W83 from W76.75 in the very same duration.

Charter prices for an 80,000-dwt Aframax vessel from Southeast Asia to East Coast Australia was up to around W115 from W130.50. (Reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Manolo Serapio Jr.)

( c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016.