LaycanDeskBulk limestone, gypsum and aggregates freight
Grab-loaded Supramax and Handymax stems of limestone, gypsum, crushed stone and boulders from Oman to India and Bangladesh. Freight for bulk limestone, gypsum, aggregates and armour rock: grab and conveyor loading at 8,000 to 20,000 tonnes a day, Supramax and Handymax parcels of 30,000 to 60,000 tonnes from Shinas, Sohar, Salalah and Duqm to Chittagong outer anchorage, Kandla and the Indian west coast, where the freight is worth more than the cargo.
Construction minerals are the one trade where the ship costs more than what is in her. Limestone and gypsum load by conveyor or grab at 8,000 to 20,000 tonnes a day from quarry jetties on the Omani coast; crushed stone and boulders come alongside by truck and go in by grab or ship's crane. Boulders and armour rock are the exception to speed: irregular pieces of half a tonne to several tonnes, loaded by grab or crane at a few thousand tonnes a day, and owners want to know the piece size before they price the tank-top wear. The cargo is dense, so a Supramax stem of 55,000 to 60,000 tonnes loads on draft with holds part-empty, and hold cleaning after it is light. Chittagong outer anchorage is a lighterage discharge into barges, which sets the draft and the discharge rate on the receiving side; Kandla and Mundra take the ship alongside.
The desk has worked limestone and crushed stone stems from Shinas and Sohar to Chittagong outer anchorage and boulder parcels on the same coast, so the shape is familiar: quantity with its tolerance, loading rate on a SHINC basis, discharge rate on an FHEX basis, commission and a named charterer. Send us those with the quarry, the shipper of record and the laycan, and the enquiry goes to owners of Supramax and Handymax tonnage opening in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The quarry and the charterer are asked before any owner is, because a stem without them cannot be priced or screened. Owners with grabbed Supramax tonnage opening in the Gulf or on the Indian coast send positions the same way and hear from us when a stem fits.
How it ships
- Bulk by conveyor or grab, 8,000–20,000 MT/day
- Boulders by grab or crane, piece size declared
- Dense cargo: loads on draft, holds part-empty
- Light hold cleaning after discharge
- Lighterage at anchorage where there is no berth
Load areas
- Shinas and Sohar (limestone, crushed stone)
- Salalah (gypsum)
- Duqm and Sur
- Egypt Red Sea and Damietta (gypsum)
Discharge areas
- Chittagong outer anchorage by lighter
- Kandla, Mundra and the Indian west coast
- Bangladesh (Mongla)
- West Africa (Onne, Port Harcourt) for gypsum
Ships that carry it
The cargo itself, on Commbril
Questions charterers and owners ask
Why does the freight matter more than the cargo here?
Because limestone and crushed stone are worth a few dollars a tonne at the quarry and the voyage to Chittagong or Kandla costs more than that. The delivered price is decided by the ship: geared or gearless, the draft at discharge, the loading and discharge rates and the demurrage exposure. That is why these stems are fixed on the rates before anything else.
What does discharge at Chittagong outer anchorage involve?
The ship anchors outside and discharges into lighters by her own grabs, so she must be geared, and the discharge rate depends on how many lighters the receiver supplies. Owners price it on the stated rate and want to know the anchorage draft and the lighter arrangement before they quote.
Do owners take boulders and armour rock?
Many do, at a piece size they have agreed. Irregular pieces of a tonne or more dropped by grab damage tank tops, so owners ask for the maximum piece weight, the loading method and often a dunnage or bedding arrangement. Tell us the piece size and we go only to owners who accept it.
What does a complete limestone enquiry contain?
Quantity with tolerance, quarry and loading berth, load rate SHINC, discharge port and rate FHEX, laycan, commission, and the charterer's name. A stem with all of those goes to owners the same day; one without the charterer or the quarry waits.