Industry sources say the company has penned four suezmaxes and four aframaxes at SHI for delivery during the first half of 2017.

Brokers say Economou has swapped one of his Nasdaq-listed Ocean Rig’s drillships for the clutch of tankers.

Efforts by TradeWinds to contact the Greek owner were unsuccessful. SHI officials decline to comment on the orders.

Ocean Rig is due to take delivery of the first drillship — the Ocean Rig Apollo — shortly and a second — the Ocean Rig Santorini — in 2016.