DryShips is paying $21.4m in total to get out of the contracts, which were concluded at a time when newbuilding prices for suezmaxes were around $70m each.

Very few brokers have reported the sale of the 158,000-dwt Esperona and Blanca, which are due to be delivered by the yard later this year.

RS Platou Shipbrokers head of shipbroking Wilhelm Holst says he considers this an internal deal and consequently it is not being reported by the firm.

In