The Dr Peters spin-off is selling its only VL, the 300,000-dwt Meridian Lion (built 1997), brokers say.

A figure of $26m has been placed on the deal, with the buyer only tentatively identified as a Russian company.

The figure is well above the $20.7m vesselsvalue.com places on the ship.

Others say the figure seems in line with their pricing of 15-year-old VLCCs.

Clarksons presently has a $25m figure against a V of that vintage, down a couple of million from the end of 2012.

Salamon bought the Meridian Lion from OSG for $60.5m in 2003 as part of a sale-and-leaseback deal.

Its OSG charter ended in 2011 and the tanker is currently trading the spot market via the Tankers International pool.

Salamon has four more tankers, including two suezmaxes, in its fleet of nine vessels.

Calls to the KG for comment on the deal were not answered.