India’s top refiner Indian Oil Corp is close to chartering a Panama-flagged ship rather than an Indian vessel in its first tender to hire an oil tanker with scrubbers that remove sulfur emissions, sources with knowledge of the matter said. In December last year, state-owned IOC issued a global tender and offered Indian shippers the first right of refusal as the nation seeks to boost its shipping industry. India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer, wants to promote the market share of its vessels in bringing in crude imports. But it is the Panama-flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) Bright Pioneer, owned by Nissen Kaiun Co Ltd, that has emerged as the likely winner for a daily rate of $30,000-$32,000, the sources said. […]