Business Day: Continued Dip in US Imports of Nigerian Crude Threatens Suezmax Tankers

“According to data from Poten & Partners, the average daily tanker rate for Suezmaxes sailing from West Africa to the US Gulf Coast was $58,305 in 2008, just as the downturn hit, when crude oil shipping was booming. In 2009, rates fell by a dramatic 59.7 percent, followed by 4.5 percent in 2010, and 56.0 percent in 2011.”