US Shipping Partners' Chemical Pioneer is outliving most ships on the water with no signs of heading to the scrap pile.

The 34,930-dwt chemical tanker (built 1968) with 48 tanks is on contracts of affreightment with Dow Chemical, Clearlake Shipping and a third unknown party, according to an industry source.

"It fits a niche that not many ships do so its worth it for them to keep it," Bart Lawrence, a partner with Compass Maritime focused on scrapping, told TradeWinds.