Greek shipowner Evangelos Marinakis is set to secure long-term time charters for two aframax tanker newbuildings on order in South Korea.

The deal, which is believed to remain on subjects, is the latest evidence of charterers paying a premium for scrubber-fitted tankers with IMO 2020 rules set to arrive.

Tanker market sources say private Marinakis company Capital Maritime & Trading will charter the 114,000-dwt ships to oil major ExxonMobil.