Demolition records tumbled in the first half of 2018 as owners scrapped tankers in huge numbers.

More than half the capacity came from the battered VLCC market, where demolition figures closed in on activity levels last displayed during three busy years at the start of the century, according to figures seen by TradeWinds.

However, with a larger fleet now on the water and more than 100 VLCCs still on order, some experts believe it could take until the end of the decade for owners in the big tanker market to return to profitable territory.