Image: Monjasa

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Bunker seller Monjasa confirmed on Monday that it has acquired full ownership of the MT African Sprinter for continued bunker operation off the coast of Namibia, West Africa.

The Malta-flagged, 8,200-deadweight-tonne (dwt) tanker had previously been on bareboat charter with Monjasa for three years.

Commenting on the news, Group CEO, Anders Ostergaard, said: "We are always in the market for quality oil and chemical tonnage for our physical bunker operations in Northwest Europe, Panama, the Arabian Gulf and West Africa. This was the right moment to assume definitive control of the African Sprinter and further strengthen ownership across our supply chain in West Africa."

Monjasa operates a fleet of some 20 tankers worldwide, with around 10 tankers currently deployed in West Africa, including the 120,000-dwt oil tanker SKS Darent, which serves as a floating storage off Lome in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to Monjasa, its logistical setup in West Africa has enabled it to become the region's largest supplier in terms of volume and the number of operating ships.

Monjasa has now been operating in West Africa for more than a decade, and in 2017 the company says it supplied around 1.5 million tonnes of bunker fuels in the region - which amounts to roughly 39.5 percent of the 3.8 million tonnes it sold worldwide last year.

Discussing how the West African market has evolved since the company entered the market, Monjasa explained: "This acquisition is also an example of how the West Africa bunker market is developing. Just 10-15 years ago, West Africa was not able to offer a reliable bunker supply whereas today, the region offers quality tonnage and buying conditions matching Rotterdam, Las Palmas or South Africa."

"Looking beyond IMO's 2020 Sulphur Cap, our West Africa operation allows continued blending and supply of multiple grades of bunker fuels along with occasional onshore cargo imports in the region," Ostergaard added.

Facts about MT African Sprinter

- Year built: 2005
- Flag: Malta
- Oil Major Approved
- Dwt: 8,200
- LOA: 123m

As previously reported in June, Monjasa also acquired the 3,600-dwt tanker MT Fredericia for its bunker operations in the English Channel.