Shipowners have already ordered more than twice as many supertankers this year as in all of 2025, a buying spree worth over $20 billion that is the biggest for at least 25
Shipowners have already ordered more than twice as many supertankers this year as in all of 2025, a buying spree worth over $20 billion that is the biggest for at least 25 years, as the US-Iran war redraws trade routes and boosts demand for long-haul crude shipments.
Data from Signal Group, a shipping analytics platform, show 217 Very Large Crude Carriers ordered so far in 2026, against 93 last year. Allied Shipbroking recorded 164 VLCC orders, up from 83. A VLCC carries about two million barrels of oil.
The spree signals growing acceptance that oil will continue to travel longer distances from the Atlantic basin as buyers diversify away from Middle Eastern sources, and also reflects a broader expectation among shipowners that long-haul oil trade will remain resilient, despite the transition away from fossil fuels.
"We believe owners betting on increased long-haul shipments from the Atlantic to Asia are playing a large part in the renewed demand for VLCC ordering," said Rebecca Galanopoulos, senior analyst at the shipping analytics firm Veson Nautical.
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