Singaporean trading company Olam International is believed to have piped rivals to the post in the race for a quartet of Greathorse bulkers that attracted the attention of two prominent public shipowners.

Multiple shipbroking sources suggest Olam International has bought the Chengxi-built series in an $80m swoop that marks its shipowning debut.

Executives at Olam declined to comment on the specifics of the transaction when contacted by TradeWinds.