The new manager of Heidmar's tanker pools does not expect to lose vessels despite changes that surprised some members and caused them to investigate other options.

Signal Maritime Services chief executive Panos Dimitracopoulos dismissed market talk of potential defections from Heidmar's three pools.

Signal and Heidmar owner George Economou jointly announced "a milestone agreement" on 6 January that would use Signal's artificial intelligence approach applied first to the 18 aframaxes in the Sigma pool.