They are the 115,000-dwt Sasebo-built, sisterships Forward Flair (built 2006) and Forward Bright (built 2007).

No price has been revealed but they could have fetched $32m and $35m, respectively.

Zodiac has been boosting its crude tanker fleet considerably in the past couple of years. Last year, it bought four Sasebo-built aframaxes from troubled Cido Shipping.

The vessels were built in 2007 and 2008 and acquired for $25.2m