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Scorpio wraps up merger with Navig8 Product Tankers
Scorpio Tankers Inc. announced that it has closed the previously announced merger with Navig8 Product Tankers Inc.. As consideration, Scorpio has issued 55 million shares of its common stock to the holders of NPTI’s common shares or 19.7% of the current 279,663,300 Scorpio common shares issued and outstanding.
Through the Merger and related transactions, Scorpio has acquired an operating fleet of 27 eco-design product tankers, comprised of 15 LR2s and 12 LR1s with a weighted average of 1.2 years and an aggregate carrying capacity of approximately 2.6 million dwt. Scorpio’s operating fleet now consists of 105 owned or finance leased tankers (38 LR2 tankers, 12 LR1 tankers, 41 MR tankers and 14 Handymax tankers) with a weighted average age of approximately 2.1 years, and 20 time or bareboat chartered-in tankers (two LR2 tankers, nine MR tankers and nine Handymax tankers). In addition, as of the date hereof, Scorpio has contracts for the construction of four newbuilding MR product tankers, which Scorpio refers to as its Newbuilding Program. The vessels in Scorpio’s Newbuilding Program are expected to be delivered throughout the remainder of 2017 and first quarter of 2018.
In connection with the Merger, Merrick Rayner, whose appointment is effective today, will join the board of directors of Scorpio as an independent director. Mr. Rayner has over 40 years of experience in the tanker business. From 1974 to 2003, Mr. Rayner was a broker at H. Clarkson & Company Limited shipbrokers, with experience in both the deep sea tanker chartering business as well as new and second hand vessel sale and purchase. From 1987 to 1989 Mr. Rayner served as Director of Clarkson Sale and Purchase Division. From 1989 until leaving H. Clarkson & Company Limited in 2003, he was a director of the company, and also served as a director of Clarkson Research Studies from 1992 until 2003. In 2003 Mr. Rayner joined E.A. Gibson’s shipbrokers as a broker, where he developed the company’s time charter group. He also served as a director of Gibson’s from 2012 until his retirement in 2016. Mr. Rayner currently resides in the United Kingdom.