In a statement the Athens-based tanker owner said the decision to pull the plug was “voluntary” and follows the recent decline in its stock price.

"The last month, and especially after the filing of our registration statement, our stock price has receded by about 20%,” said chief executive Evangelos Pistiolis.

“Despite the fact that we have identified some excellent investment opportunities, we decided not to proceed with an offering at this point in time.”

Pistiolis