Leading recycler Leyal Group denies that sales to Turkey of offshore rigs for scrapping have ground to a halt due to the weaker lira.

Tradewinds reported earlier today that a report by UK shipbroker Clarksons says that the currency situation, due to the introduction of US tariffs on imports from Turkey, had stymied offshore scrapping.

But Dimitri Ayvatoglu, head of special projects at Leyal, Turkey’s largest shiprecycler, said: "Both ships and rigs are continuing to arrive at Turkish yards, including the semi-submersible rigs Ensco 6001 and Ensco 7500.”