Turkish tanker owner Ditaş has been linked to a second suezmax newbuilding contract within a week, bringing its South Korean orderbook to four vessels valued at more than $370 million.

Samsung Heavy Industries disclosed on Monday that it had secured a KRW 268 billion ($188 million) contract with an undisclosed European owner for two crude oil tankers. The vessels are understood to be 158,000 dwt suezmaxes scheduled for delivery by August 2029. Market sources have identified the buyer as Ditaş, the shipping arm of Tüpraş, Turkey's largest refiner by capacity and a major supplier of refined petroleum products to the Mediterranean and Black Sea markets.

The Samsung order follows a separate contract for two 157,000 dwt suezmaxes placed at fellow South Korean shipbuilder DH Shipbuilding, which was revealed the previous week. That pair, priced at KRW 271.3 billion ($196 million), is slated for delivery by the end of 2029. The extended delivery timelines through 2029 reflect the well-documented backlog at major South Korean shipyards, where orderbooks across tanker, container, and LNG carrier segments have filled available slots several years ahead.

Ditaş has not publicly confirmed its involvement in either shipyard contract. However, parent company Tüpraş verified the broader four-vessel programme on July 31, stating that four 157,000 dwt suezmaxes are under construction in South Korea with a total investment exceeding $370 million. All four vessels are expected to join the fleet during 2029. Tüpraş did not disclose the names of the shipyards involved.

Once delivered, the newbuilds will triple Ditaş's suezmax fleet from two vessels to six, increasing the segment's total capacity from approximately 315,000 dwt to nearly 943,000 dwt. Suezmaxes — so named for being the largest tanker class capable of transiting the Suez Canal fully loaded — are workhorses of the global crude oil trade, typically deployed on medium-haul routes connecting production regions in the Middle East, West Africa, and the Black Sea with refining centres in Europe and Asia.

The Istanbul-based company currently operates two scrubber-fitted sister vessels built in 2017 — the T Sadberk and the T Semahat — each with a deadweight of 157,453 tonnes.

Ditaş has also been expanding across other segments. The company recently added the 114,800 dwt aframax T Riva and the 2020-built tanker T Kilyos to its fleet. Additionally, two 12,000 dwt chemical tankers are currently under construction at Koç Group-owned RMK Marine in Turkey.