Diana Shipping vessel runs aground in Indonesia

Bulk carrier Diana Shipping has declined to provide many details regarding the incident, including how much damage the vessel sustained and how long it could be out of service.

   The M/V Melite, a 76,436-deadweight ton Panamax dry bulk vessel owned by Greece-based shipping company Diana Shipping Inc. had to be temporarily taken out of service July 26 after it ran aground in Indonesia.
   “Although the company is still assessing the situation, the crew is in no danger as a result of this incident and there has been no pollution,” Diana Shipping said in a statement, adding that it appeared that the vessel had suffered hull damage resulting from the grounding, which took place on the Indonesian island of Pulau Laut.
   The Marshall Islands-flagged Melite, which was built in 2004, has an overall length of 225 meters (738 feet), a breadth of 32.2 meters (105 feet) and a gross tonnage of 39,964.
   Diana Shipping, at least for the time being, has declined to provide further details regarding the grounding incident, including how much damage the vessel sustained and how long the Melite could be out of service.
   In an unrelated move the day after the grounding, Diana Shipping announced that it, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has entered into a time charter contract with Glencore Agriculture B.V., Rotterdam, for one of DSI’s dry bulk vessels, the M/V Maia.
   Under the contract, the gross charter rate is $10,125 per day — minus a five percent commission paid to third parties — for a period of 12 to 15 months. The charter commenced on July 27.
   The Maia is an 82,193-dwt Kamsarmax dry bulk vessel built in 2009. The vessel’s employment, according to Diana, is expected to generate about $3.65 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.