US owner American Petroleum Tankers (APT) has clinched another US government charter for one of its MR tankers.

The Jones Act shipping arm of Kinder Morgan has been awarded a payment of $28.55m for its 48,600-dwt Empire State (built 2010), the US Department of Defense said.

The department added that the money represents a fixed-price contract for the Pennsylvania owner, “with reimbursable elements”.