Tankers pin hopes on Opec spring production hikes

"Clarksons still expects rising Opec+ oil production to boost the fortunes of crude tankers, but some observers question whether those increases will actually come. The shipbroking giant said on Tuesday that 2025 looks to be “healthy” for crude tankers, in part due to the scheduled unwinding of production cuts by Opec and its allies starting in the spring. “Overall, crude tanker supply/demand fundamentals appear fairly well balanced for 2025,” Clarksons said in its monthly Oil and Tanker Trades Outlook. […] The moves helped VLCCs as Chinese buyers in the port complex turned towards mainstream tankers. Still, Iranian exports totalled 1.3m bpd in January, according to figures from pro-sanctions group United Against Nuclear Iran."