The Board of Frontline Ltd. (the “Company” or “Frontline”) announces that it has agreed to acquire the VLCC “Front Vista” (the “Vessel”) from Ship Finance International Limited at a purchase price of USD 58.5 mill.
Frontline has furthermore agreed to sell the Vessel and the Buyer will settle the purchase price through the payment of instalments over a 10 year period. The Buyer has secured a 10 year time charter with a State owned oil company at a gross rate of USD 43,500 per day during the entire charter period.
The transaction reflects the Company’s goal of securing long term coverage for parts of its fleet.
February 5, 2010
The Board of Directors
Frontline Ltd.
Hamilton, Bermuda
Questions should be directed to:
Jens Martin Jensen: Chief Executive Officer, Frontline Management AS
+47 23 11 40 99
Inger M. Klemp: Chief Financial Officer, Frontline Management AS
+47 23 11 40 76
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward looking statements. These statements are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including Frontline management’s examination of historical operating trends. Although Frontline believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control, Frontline cannot give assurance that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or intentions.
Important factors that, in the Company’s view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this presentation include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market as a result of changes in OPEC’s petroleum production levels and world wide oil consumption and storage, changes in the Company’s operating expenses including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.