Opec’s decision to keep the world’s key oil taps turned down has delivered a blow to tanker owners but offered welcome news to the oil market.

The world’s leading oil producers have agreed to keep present restrictions in place for a further nine months with tighter compliance expected amid an effort to reduce inventories.

Ole-Rikard Hammer, senior oil and tanker market analyst at Arctic Securities, said the Opec call would delay a recovery in tankers but was "not as bad as it sounds".