DIANA SHIPPING INC. ANNOUNCES DIRECT CONTINUATION OF TIME CHARTER CONTRACT FOR M/V ASTARTE WITH GLENCORE
ATHENS, GREECE, October 17, 2018 – Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has agreed to extend the present time charter contract with Glencore Agriculture B.V., Rotterdam, for one of its Kamsarmax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Astarte. The gross charter rate is US$14,250 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum fourteen (14) months to maximum seventeen (17) months. The new charter period commenced yesterday. The m/v Astarte was chartered, as previously announced, at a gross charter rate of US$9,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties.
The “Astarte” is a 81,513 dwt Kamsarmax dry bulk vessel built in 2013.
The employment extension of “Astarte” is anticipated to generate approximately US$5.99 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter extension.
Diana Shipping Inc.’s fleet currently consists of 50 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 14 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 5 Kamsarmax and 22 Panamax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Company’s fleet is approximately 5.8 million dwt with a weighted average age of 9.15 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Company’s website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Company’s website does not constitute a part of this press release.
About the Company
Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Company’s vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.
