Not applicable.

Not applicable.

The following risks relate principally to us and our business and the industry in which we operate, the securities market and ownership of our securities, including our ordinary shares. The occurrence of any of the risk factors described below could significantly and negatively affect our business, financial condition or operating results, which may reduce our ability to pay dividends, and lower the trading price of our ordinary shares.

The tanker industry is both cyclical and volatile in terms of charter rates and profitability. For example, during the eight yeareight-year period from 20102011 through 2017,2018, time charter equivalent, or TCE, spot rates for a VLCC trading between the Middle East Gulf and the Far East (measure based on discharge in Japan until end-2017, then China from 2018 onwards) ranged from rates below operating expenses to a high of $114,148 per day. This volatility continued in 2018 (the benchmark route changed in 2018 to discharge in China in line with market developments)2019 , with average daily rates on thethis route fluctuating between $3,859$6,167 (which amount wasis below our operating expenses) to $58,030$300,391 per day.day (although no actual fixtures were concluded at the extreme TCE highs ; the highest TCE recorded in the Tankers International Pool, in which we employ 39 of our 42 VLCCs, was around $204,000 per day). Periodic adjustments to the supply of and demand for oil tankers cause the industry to be cyclical in nature. We expect continued volatility in market rates for our vessels in the foreseeable future with a consequent effect on our short- and medium-term liquidity. A worsening of the current global economic conditions may adversely affect our ability to charter or recharter our vessels or to sell them on the expiration or termination of their charters, or any renewal or replacement charters that we enter into may not be sufficient to allow us to operate our vessels profitably. Fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values result from changes in the supply and demand for tanker capacity andcaused by changes in the supply and demand for oil and oil products. The carrying values of our vessels or our floating, storage and offloading or FSO,(FSO), vessels may not represent their fair market values or the amount that could be obtained by selling the vessels at any point in time since the market prices of second-hand vessels tend to fluctuate with changes in charter rates and the cost of newbuildings.

TheIn general, the factors affecting the supply and demand for tankers are outside of our control, and the nature, timing and degree of changes in industry conditions are unpredictable.

The factors that influence demand for tanker capacity include:

The factors that influence the supply of tanker capacity include:

Declines in oil and natural gas prices or decreases in demand for oil and natural gas for an extended period of time, or market expectations of potential decreases in these prices and demand, could negatively affect our future growth in the tanker and offshore sector. Sustained periods of low oil and natural gas prices typically result in reduced exploration and extraction because oil and natural gas companies’ capital expenditure budgets are subject to cash flow from such activities and are therefore sensitive to changes in energy prices. These changes in commodity prices can have a material effect on demand for our services, and periods of low demand can cause excess vessel supply and intensify the competition in the industry, which often results in vessels, particularly older and less technologically-advanced vessels, being idle for long periods of time. We cannot predict the future level of demand for our services or future conditions of the oil and natural gas industry. Any decrease in exploration, development or production expenditures by oil and natural gas companies or decrease in the demand for oil and natural gas could reduce our revenues and materially harm our business, results of operations and cash available for distribution.

The demand for our vessels and services in transporting oil derives primarily from demand for Arabian Gulf, West African, North Sea, Caribbean Gulf and Gulf of Mexico crude oil, which, in turn, primarily depends on the economies of the world’s industrial countries and competition from alternative energy sources. A wide range of economic, environmental, social and other factors can significantly affect the strength of the world’s industrial economies and their demand for crude oil from the mentioned geographical areas. One such factor is the price of worldwide crude oil. The world’s oil markets have experienced high levels of volatility in the last 25 years. In 2018,2019, crude oil reached a high of $77.41$ 65.66 per barrel (WTI)/$86.0774.40 per barrel (Brent) and a low of $44.48$ 45.15 per barrel (WTI)/$50.57 51.93 per barrel (Brent). As of April 15, 2019,14, 2020, crude oil was $63.3$20.11 per barrel (WTI)/$71.3 29.60 per barrel (Brent).

Any decrease in shipments of crude oil from the above-mentioned geographical areas could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance. Among the factors which could lead to such a decrease are:

In addition, conditions affecting the world economy and the economics of the United States and the world economies such as, China and India may result in reduced consumption of oil products and a decreased demand for our vessels and lower charter rates, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and our ability to pay dividends.

The market supply of tankers is affected by a number of factors, such as supply and demand for energy resources, including oil and petroleum products, supply and demand for seaborne transportation of such energy resources, the current and expected purchase orders for newbuildings and the number of vessels being scrapped.recycled. If the capacity of new tankers delivered exceeds the capacity of tankers being scrappedrecycled or converted to non-trading tankers, tanker capacity will increase. If the supply of tanker capacity increases and if the demand for tanker capacity decreases or does not increase correspondingly, charter rates could materially decline. A reduction in charter rates and the value of our vessels may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and earnings and available cash and our ability to comply with the covenants in our loan agreements.

The offshore production, storage and export industry is cyclical and volatile. Our growth strategy is partially based on expansion in the offshore FSO sector, which depends on the level of activity in oil and natural gas exploration, development and production in offshore areas worldwide. The availability of quality FSO prospects, exploration success, relative production costs, the stage of reservoir development and political and regulatory environments affect customers’ FSO programs. Oil and natural gas prices and market expectations of potential changes in these prices or decreases in the demand for oil and gas also significantly affect this level of activity and demand for offshore units.units as does the difference in cost between a floating vessel compared to a fixed installation connected through pipelines.

We operate our vessels in markets that have historically exhibited seasonal variations in demand and, as a result, charter rates. Peaks in tanker demand quite often precede seasonal oil consumption peaks, as refiners and suppliers anticipate consumer demand. Seasonal peaks in oil demand can broadly be classified into two main categories: (1) increased demand prior to Northern Hemisphere winters as heating oil consumption increases and (2) increased demand for gasoline prior to the summer driving season in the United States. Unpredictable weather patterns and variations in oil reserves disrupt tanker scheduling. This seasonality may result in quarter-to-quarter volatility in our operating results, as many of our vessels trade in the spot market. Seasonal variations in tanker demand will affect any spot market related rates that we may receive.

Acts of piracy have historically affected ocean-going vessels trading in regions of the world such as the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea and in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia.Somalia and in particular the Gulf or Guinea region off Nigeria, which experienced increased incidents of piracy in 2019. Sea piracy incidents continue to occur. If these piracy attacks occur in regions in which our vessels are deployed being characterized by insurers as “enhanced risk” zones or “war risk” zones or “war and strikes” listed areas by the Joint War Committee, premiums payable for such coverage could increase significantly and such insurance coverage may be more difficult to obtain. In addition, crew and security equipment costs, as well as costs which may be incurred to the extent we employ onboard security armed guards or to the extent we hire in military patrol boats to escort the vessels, could increase in such circumstances. We may not be adequately insured to cover losses from these incidents, which could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, detention or hijacking as a result of an act of piracy against our vessels, or increases in cost associated with seeking to avoid such events (including increased bunker costs resulting from vessels being rerouted or travellingtraveling at increased speeds as recommended by BMP4)BMP5), or unavailability of insurance for our vessels, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, ability to pay dividends, cash flows and financial condition and may result in loss of revenues, increased costs and decreased cash flows to our customers, which could impair their ability to make payments to us under our charters.

We conduct most of our operations outside of the United States, and our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends, if any, in the future may be adversely affected by changing economic, political and government conditions in the countries and regions where our vessels are employed or registered. Moreover, we operate in a sector of the economy that is likely to be adversely impacted by the effects of political conflicts,conflicts.

Currently, the world economy faces a number of challenges, including the current political instabilityeffects of volatile oil prices, trade tensions between the United States and China and between the United States and the European Union continuing turmoil and hostilities in the Middle East, and the South China Sea regionKorean Peninsula, North Africa, Venezuela, Iran and other geographic areas and countries, and areas,continuing economic weakness in the European Union, geopolitical events such as the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union or "Brexit,"("Brexit"), continuing threat of terrorist orattacks around the world, continuing instability and conflicts and other attacks,recent occurrences in the Middle East and war (or threatened war) or international hostilities,in other geographic areas and countries such as those between the United States and North Korea. Korea or Iran, or between the Houthi and Arab counties in Yemen, or internally in Libya, and stabilizing growth in China, as well as rapidly growing public health concerns stemming from the recent COVID-19 outbreak. .

Terrorist attacks such as those in New York on September 11, 2001, in London on July 7, 2005, in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 and in Paris on November 13, 2015, Manchester on May 22, 2017, as well as the frequent incidents of terrorism in the Middle East, and the continuing response of the United States and others to these attacks, as well as the threat of future terrorist attacks around the world, continues to cause uncertainty in the world's financial markets and international commerce and may affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Continuing conflicts and recent developments in the Middle East, including increased tensions between the United States and Iran which in January 2020 escalated into a the United States airstrike in Baghdad that killed a high-ranking Iranian general, as well as the presence of U.S.the United States or other armed forces in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and various other regions, may lead to additional acts of terrorism and armed conflict around the world, which may contribute to further economic instability in the global financial markets and international commerce. Additionally, any escalations between the United States and Iran could result in retaliation from Iran that could potentially affect the shipping industry, through increased attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz (which already experienced an increased number of attacks on and seizures of vessels in 2019). These uncertainties could also adversely affect our ability to obtain additional financing or insurance on terms acceptable to us or at all. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse impact on our operating results, revenues and costs.

Additionally, in Europe, large sovereign debts and fiscal deficits, low growth prospects and high unemployment rates in a number of countries have contributed to the rise of Eurosceptic parties, which would like their countries to leave the Euro. The exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, or Brexit, further increases the risk of additional trade protectionism. Brexit, or similar events in other jurisdictions, could impact global markets, including foreign exchange and securities markets; any resulting changes in currency exchange rates, tariffs, treaties and other regulatory matters could in turn adversely impact our business and operations.

Further, governments may turn toAlso, China and the US have implemented certain increasingly protective trade measures with continuing trade tensions, including significant tariff increases, between these countries. These trade barriers to protect their domestic industries against foreign imports, thereby depressingdepress shipping demand. In particular, leaders in the United States have indicated the United States may seek to implement more protectiveThe recent trade measures. President Trump was elected on a platform promotingdeal (first phase trade protectionism. The results of the presidential election have thus created significant uncertainty about the future relationshipagreement) between the United States and China and other exporting countries, including with respectwhich requires the Chinese to trade policies, treaties, government regulations and tariffs. For example, on January 23, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United Statespurchase over $50 billion of energy products from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade agreement intendedUS which, according to includenews sources, includes crude oil, somewhat mitigates the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru and a number of Asian countries.above. In March 2018, President Trump announced tariffs on imported steel and aluminum into the United States that could have a negative impact on international trade generally. Most recently, in general. In January 2019, the United States announced expanded sanctions against Venezuela, which may have an effect on its oil output and in turn affect global oil supply. Protectionist developments, or the perception they may occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions, and may significantly reduce global trade. Moreover, increasing trade protectionism may cause an increase in (a) the cost of goods exported from regions globally, (b) the length of time required to transport goods and (c) the risks associated with exporting goods. Such increases may significantly affect the quantity of goods to be shipped, shipping time schedules, voyage costs and other associated costs, which could have an adverse impact on our charterers’ business, operating results and financial condition and could thereby affect their ability to make timely charter hire payments to us and to renew and increase the number of their time charters with us. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to pay any cash distributions to our stockholders.

Rising fuel pricesIn addition, public health threats such as influenza and other highly communicable diseases or viruses, outbreaks of which have from time to time occurred in various parts of the world in which we operate, including China, Japan and South Korea, which may adversely affect our profits.

We anticipate a significant number of the port calls made by our vessels will continue to involve loading or discharging operations in ports in the Asia Pacific region. As a result, any negative changes in economic conditions in any Asia Pacific country, particularly in China, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our future prospects. Before the global economic financial crisis that began in 2008, China had one of the world's fastest growing economies in terms of gross domestic product, or GDP, which had a significant impact on shipping demand. The quarterly year-over-year growth rate of China's GDP was approximately 6.5%6.1% for the year ended December 31, 2018,2019, as compared to approximately 6.9%6.6% for the year ended December 31, 2017,2018, and continues to remain below pre-2008 levels. We cannot assure you that the Chinese economy will not experience a significant contraction in the future.

Although state-owned enterprises still account for a substantial portion of the Chinese industrial output, in general, the Chinese government is reducing the level of direct control that it exercises over the economy through state plans and other measures. There is an increasing level of freedom and autonomy in areas such as allocation of resources, production, pricing and management and a gradual shift in emphasis to a "market economy" and enterprise reform. Limited price reforms were undertaken with the result that prices for certain commodities are principally determined by market forces. Many of the reforms are unprecedented or experimental and may be subject to revision, change or abolition based upon the outcome of such experiments. If the Chinese government does not continue to pursue a policy of economic reform, the level of imports to and exports from China could be adversely affected by changes to these economic reforms by the Chinese government, as well as by changes in political, economic and social conditions or other relevant policies of the Chinese government, such as changes in laws, regulations or export and import restrictions. Notwithstanding economic reform, the Chinese government may adopt policies that favor domestic oil tanker companies and may hinder our ability to compete with them effectively. For example, China imposes a tax for non-resident international transportation enterprises engaged in the provision of services of passengers or cargo, among other items, in and out of China using their own, chartered or leased vessels. The regulation may subject international transportation companies to Chinese enterprise income tax on profits generated from international transportation services passing through Chinese ports. This tax or similar regulations, such as the recently promoted environmental taxes on coal, by China may result in an increase in the cost of raw materials imported to China and the risks associated with importing raw materials to China, as well as a decrease in any raw materials shipped from our charterers to China. This could have an adverse impact on our charterers’ business, operating results and financial condition and could thereby affect their ability to make timely charter hire payments to us and to renew and increase the number of their time charters with us. Moreover, an economic slowdown in the economies of the European Union and other Asian countries may further adversely affect economic growth in China and elsewhere.

In addition, concerns regarding the possibility of sovereign debt defaults by European Union member countries, including Greece, have in the past disrupted financial markets throughout the world, and may lead to weaker consumer demand in the European Union, the United States, and other parts of the world. The possibility of sovereign debt defaults by European Union member countries, including Greece, and the possibility of market reforms to float the Chinese renminbi, either of which development could weaken the Euro against the Chinese renminbi, could adversely affect consumer demand in the European Union. Moreover, the revaluation of the renminbi may negatively impact the United States' demand for imported goods, many of which are shipped from China. Future weak economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, ability to pay dividends as well as our future prospects, will likely be materially and adversely affected by another economic downturn in any of the aforementioned countries and regions.

Negative trendsThe world economy continues to face a number of challenges, including the effects of volatile oil prices, trade tensions between the US and China and between the US and the European Union, continuing turmoil and hostilities in the global economyMiddle East, the Korean Peninsula, North Africa, Venezuela, Iran and other geographic areas and countries, continuing threat of terrorist attacks around the world, continuing instability and conflicts and other recent occurrences in the Middle East and in other geographic areas and countries, continuing economic weakness in the European Union, or the E.U., and stabilizing growth in China. If one or more of the major national or regional economies should weaken, there is a substantial risk that emerged in 2008 continue to adversely affect global economic conditions. In addition,such a downturn will impact the world economy. There has historically been a strong link between the development of the world economy is currently facing a numberand demand for energy, including oil and gas. An extended period of new challenges. The presence ofdeterioration in the United States and other armed forces in Afghanistan, additional acts of terrorism and armed conflict aroundoutlook for the world may contribute to further economic instability in global financial markets.economy could reduce the overall demand for oil and gas and for our services. Such changes could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

The recent sovereign debt crisis in certain Eurozone countries, such as Greece, and concerns over debt levels of certain other European Union member states and in other countries around the world, as well as concerns about international banks, have led to increased volatility in global credit and equity markets. The creditCredit markets in the United States and Europe have in the past experienced significant contraction, deleveragingde-leveraging and reduced liquidity, since the financial crisis in 2008, and there is a risk that the United States federal government and state governments and European authorities have implementedcontinue to implement a broad variety of governmental action and/or new regulation of the financial markets and may implement additional regulations in the future. Securities and futures markets and the credit markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and other requirements. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, other regulators, self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies, and may effect changes in law or interpretations of existing laws.markets. Global financial markets and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, severely disrupted and volatile. An extended period of deterioration in outlook for the world economy could reduce the overall demand for our services and could also adversely affect our ability to obtain financing on terms acceptable to us or at all.

We face risks attendant to changes in economic environments, changes in interest rates, and instability in the banking and securities markets around the world, among other factors. Major market disruptions may adversely affect our business or impair our ability to borrow amounts under our credit facilities or any future financial arrangements. In the absence of available financing, we also may be unable to take advantage of business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures.

As a result of any renewed concerns about the stability of financial markets generally and the solvency of counterparties specifically, the cost of obtaining money from the credit markets may increase as many lenders will increase margins or interest rates, enact tighter lending standards, refuse to refinance existing debt at all or on terms similar to current debt and reduce, and in some cases cease, to provide funding to borrowers. Furthermore, certain banks that have historically been significant lenders to the shipping industry have recently reduced or ceased lending to the shipping industry. Due to these factors, we cannot be certain that additional financing will be available if needed and to the extent required, on acceptable terms or at all. If additional financing is not available when needed, or is available only on unfavorable terms, we may be unable to meet our obligations as they come due or we may be unable to enhance our existing business or otherwise take advantage of business opportunities as they arise.

In addition, as a result of the recent economic turmoil in Greece resulting from the sovereign debt crisis and the related austerity measures implemented by the Greek government, our operations in Greece may continue to be subjected to new regulations that may require us to incur new or additional compliance or other administrative costs and may require that we pay to the Greek government new taxes or other fees. We also face the risk that strikes, work stoppages, civil unrest and violence within Greece may disrupt our shoreside operations and those of our managers located in Greece.

As a result of the credit crisis in Europe, in particular in Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, the European Commission created the European Financial Stability Facility, or the EFSF, and the European Financial Stability Mechanism, or the EFSM, to provide funding to Eurozone countries in financial difficulties that seek such support. In March 2011, the European Council agreed on the need for Eurozone countries to establish a permanent stability mechanism, the European Stability Mechanism, or the ESM, which was activated by mutual agreement, to assume the role of the EFSF and the EFSM in providing external financial assistance to Eurozone countries entered into force in May 2013. Despite these measures, and certainly against the background of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, concerns persist regarding the debt burden of certain Eurozone countries and their ability to meet future financial obligations and the overall stability of the Euro. An extended period of adverse development in the outlook for European countries could still reduce the overall demand for oil and gas andthus for our services. These potential developments, or market perceptions concerning these and related issues, could affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flow.

We rely on third-parties to provide supplies and services necessary for our operations, including equipment suppliers, caterers and machinery suppliers. Recent mergers have reduced the number of available suppliers, resulting in fewer alternatives for sourcing key supplies. With respect to certain items, we are generally dependent upon the original equipment manufacturer for repair and replacement of the item or its spare parts. Such consolidation may result in a shortage of supplies and services thereby increasing the cost of supplies and/or potentially inhibiting the ability of suppliers to deliver on time. These cost increases or delays could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and result in downtime, and delays in the repair and maintenance of our vessels and FSOs. Furthermore, many of our suppliers are U.S. companies or non-U.S. subsidiaries owned or controlled by U.S. companies, which means that in the event a U.S. supplier was debarred or otherwise restricted by the U.S. government from delivering products, our ability to supply and service our operations could be materially impacted. In addition, through regulation and permitting, certain foreign governments effectively restrict the number of suppliers and technicians available to supply and service our operations in those jurisdictions, which could materially impact our operations and financial condition.

We operate worldwide, where appropriate, through agents or other intermediaries. Compliance with complex local, foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations increases our cost of doing business. These numerous and sometimes conflicting laws and regulations include, among others, data privacy requirements (in particular the European General Data Protection Regulation, enforceable as from May 25, 2018 and the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework, as adopted by the European Commission on July 12, 2016), labor relations laws, tax laws, anti-competition regulations, import and trade restrictions, export requirements, U.S. laws such as the FCPA and other U.S. federal laws and regulations established by the office of Foreign Asset Control, local laws such as the UK Bribery Act 2010 or other local laws which prohibit corrupt payments to governmental officials or certain payments or remunerations to customers.

Given the high level of complexity of these laws, there is a risk that we may inadvertently breach some provisions. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, requirements to obtain export licenses, cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries, implementation of compliance programs, and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Violations of laws and regulations also could result in prohibitions on our ability to operate in one or more countries and could materially damage our reputation, our ability to attract and retain employees, or our business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, detecting, investigating and resolving actual or alleged violations is expensive and can consume significant time and attention of our senior management.

Our operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations in the form of international conventions and treaties, national, state and local laws and national and international regulations in force in the jurisdictions in which our vessels operate or are registered, which can significantly affect the ownership and operation of our vessels. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the United States, or U.S., Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or OPA, the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA, the U.S. Clean Air Act, or the CAA, the U.S. Clean Water Act, or the CWA, the U.S. Marine Transportation Security Act of 2002, or the MTSA, European Union or E.U., regulations, regulations of the United Nations International Maritime Organization, or the IMO, including the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships of 1973, as from time to time amended and generally referred to as MARPOL, including the designation of Emission Control Areas, or ECAs, thereunder, the International Convention on Load Lines of 1966, and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, or the ISPS Code. Compliance with such laws and regulations, where applicable, may require installation of costly equipment or operational changes and may affect the resale value or useful lives of our vessels. We may also incur additional costs in order to comply with other existing and future regulatory obligations, including, but not limited to, costs relating to air emissions including greenhouse gases, the management of ballast waters, maintenance and inspection, development and implementation of emergency procedures and insurance coverage or other financial assurance of our ability to address pollution incidents. Oil spills that occur from time to time may also result in additional legislative or regulatory initiatives that may affect our operations or require us to incur additional expenses to comply with such new laws or regulations.

These costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition and our available cash. A failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in administrative and civil penalties, criminal sanctions or the suspension or termination of our operations. Environmental laws often impose strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of oil and hazardous substances, which could subject us to liability without regard to whether we were negligent or at fault. Under OPA, for example, owners, operators and bareboat charterers are jointly and severally strictly liable for the discharge of oil within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the U.S.United States (unless the spill results solely from the act or omission of a third-party, an act of God or an act of war). An oil spill could result in significant liability, including fines, penalties, criminal liability and remediation costs for natural resource damages under international and U.S. federal, state and local laws, as well as third-party damages, including punitive damages, and could harm our reputation with current or potential charterers of our tankers. We are required to satisfy insurance and financial responsibility requirements for potential oil (including marine fuel) spills and other pollution incidents. Although we have arranged insurance to cover certain environmental risks, there can be no assurance that such insurance will be sufficient to cover all such risks or that any claims will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and available cash.

It should be noted that the U.S. isUnited States are currently experiencing changes in its environmental policy, the results of which have yet to be fully determined. For example, in April 2017, the U.S. President signed an executive order regarding environmental regulations, specifically targeting the U.S. offshore energy strategy, which may affect parts of the maritime industry and our operations.operations (although portions of this executive order are being challenged in litigation) . Furthermore, recent action by the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee and United States agencies indicate that cybersecurity regulations for the maritime industry are likely to be further developed in the near future in an attempt to combat cybersecurity threats. For example, cyber-risk management systems must be incorporated by ship-owners and managers by 2021. This might cause companies to cultivate additional procedures for monitoring cybersecurity, which could require additional expenses and/or capital expenditures. However, the impact of such regulations is hard to predict at this time.

The operation of our vessels is affected by government regulations in the form of international conventions, national, state and local laws and regulations in force in the jurisdictions in which the vessels operate, as well as in the country or countries of their registration. As such, we are subject to the requirements set forth in the IMO’s International Safety Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention, or the ISM Code, the International Ship & Port Facility Security Code. or ISPS Code, promulgated by the IMO under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974, or SOLAS.SOLAS, as well as to other conventions, mainly; the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution, or MARPOL, the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, or STCW, etc . Because such conventions, laws, and regulations are often revised, we cannot predict the ultimate cost of complying with such conventions, laws and regulations or the impact thereof on the resale prices or useful lives of our vessels. Additional conventions, laws and regulations may be adopted which could limit our ability to do business or increase the cost of our doing business and which may materially adversely affect our operations. We are required by various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies to obtain certain permits, licenses, certificates, and financial assurances with respect to our operations.

Non-compliance with the ISM Code and, other IMO or National or Regional regulations / conventions may subject the shipowner or bareboat charterer to increased liability, may lead to decreases in, or invalidation of, available insurance coverage for affected vessels and may result in the denial of access to, or detention in, some ports. The U.S. Coast Guard or USCG and E.U. Authorities enforce compliance with the ISM Codeand ISPS Codes and prohibit non-compliant vessels from trading in U.S. and E.U. ports.ports.This could have a material adverse effect on our future performance, results of operations, cash flows and financial position. The IMO continues to review and introduce new regulations. It is impossible to predict what additional regulations, if any, may be passed by the IMO and what effect, if any, such regulations might have on our operations.

Due to concern over the risk of climate change, a number of countries and the IMO have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These regulatory measures may include, among others, adoption of cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, increased efficiency standards and incentives or mandates for renewable energy. More specifically, on October 27, 2016, the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee ("MEPC") announced its decision concerning the implementation of regulations mandating a reduction in sulfur emissions from 3.5% currently to 0.5% as of the beginning of January 1, 2020. ByAdditionally, in April 2018, nations at the MEPC 72 adopted an initial strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The initial strategy identifies ¯levels of ambition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including (1) decreasing the carbon intensity from ships through implementation of further phases of the EEDI for new ships; (2) reducing carbon dioxide emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008 emission levels; and (3) reducing the total annual greenhouse emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 while pursuing efforts towards phasing them out entirely. The European Union on the other hand has indicated that it intends to accelerate its plans to include shipping into the emissions trading scheme.

Since January 1, 2020, ships will now have to either remove sulfur from emissions or buy fuel with low sulfur content, which may lead to increased costs and supplementary investments for ship owners. The interpretation of "fuel oil used on board" includes use in main engine, auxiliary engines and boilers. Shipowners may comply with this regulation by (i) using 0.5% sulfur fuels on board, which are likely to be available around the world by 2020 but likely at a higher cost; (ii) installing scrubbers for cleaning of the exhaust gas; or (iii) by retrofitting vessels to be powered by liquefied natural gas, which may not be a viable option due to the lack of supply network and high costs involved in this process. Costs of compliance with these regulatory changes may be significant and may have a material adverse effect on our future performance, results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

In addition, although the emissions of greenhouse gases from international shipping currently are not subject to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which required adopting countries to implement national programs to reduce emissions of certain gases, or the Paris Agreement (discussed further below), a new treaty may be adopted in the future that includes restrictions on shipping emissions. Compliance with changes in laws, regulations and obligations relating to climate change could increase our costs related to operating and maintaining our vessels and require us to install new emission controls, acquire allowances or pay taxes related to our greenhouse gas emissions or administer and manage a greenhouse gas emissions program. Revenue generation and strategic growth opportunities may also be adversely affected.

Adverse effects upon the oil and gas industry relating to climate change, including growing public concern about the environmental impact of climate change, may also adversely affect demand for our services. For example, increased regulation of greenhouse gases or other concerns relating to climate change may reduce the demand for oil and gas in the future or create greater incentives for use of alternative energy sources. In addition, the physical effects of climate change, including changes in weather patterns, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, scarcity of water resources, may negatively impact our operations. Any long-term material adverse effect on the oil and gas industry could have a significant financial and operational adverse impact on our business that we cannot predict with certainty at this time.

We evaluate the carrying amounts of our vessels to determine if events have occurred that would require an impairment of their carrying amounts. The recoverable amount of vessels is reviewed based on events and changes in circumstances that would indicate that the carrying amount of the assets might not be recovered. The review for potential impairment indicators and projection of future cash flows related to the vessels is complex and requires us to make various estimates relating to, among other things, vessel values, future freight rates, earnings from the vessels, discount rates, residual values and economic life of vessels. Many of these items have historically experienced volatility and both charter rates and vessel values tend to be cyclical.

We evaluate the recoverable amount as the higher of fair value less costs to sell or value in use. If the recoverable amount is less than the carrying amount of the vessel, the vessel is deemed impaired. The carrying values of our vessels may not represent their fair market value at any point in time because the new market prices of secondhand vessels tend to fluctuate with changes in charter rates and the cost of newbuildings. For the years endedyear December 31, 2018, and 2017, we evaluated the recoverable amount of our vessels and we did not recognize an impairment loss. The carrying value of each of our vessels does not necessarily represent its fair market value or the amount that could be obtained if the vessel were sold. Our estimates of market values for our vessels assume that the vessels are all in good and seaworthy condition without need for repair and, if inspected, would be certified as being in class without notations of any kind. Our estimates are based on the estimated market values for vessels received from independent ship brokers and are inherently uncertain. In addition, because vessel values are highly volatile, these estimates may not be indicative of either the current or future prices that we could achieve if we were to sell any of the vessels. We would not record a loss for any of the vessels for which the fair market value is below its carrying value unless and until we either determine to sell the vessel for a loss or determine that the vessel is impaired. Factors that we considered in our estimate are described in the Critical Accounting policies.

In developing estimates of future cash flows, we must make assumptions about future performance, with significant assumptions being related to charter rates, ship operating expenses, utilization, drydocking requirements, residual value and the estimated remaining useful lives of the vessels. These assumptions are based on historical trends and/or on future expectations. Specifically, in estimating future charter rates or service contract rates, management takes into consideration estimated daily rates for each asset over the estimated remaining lives. In the past, we have used a fixed cut of 10 years to define a shipping cycle. As management is assessing continuously the resilience of its projections to the business cycles that can be observed in the tanker market, it concluded that a business cycle approach provides a better long-term view of the dynamics at play in the industry. By defining a shipping cycle from peak to peak over the last 20 years and including management's expectation of the completion of the current cycle, management is better able to capture the full length of a business cycle while also giving more weight to recent and current market experience. The current cycle is forecasted based on management judgment, analyst reports and past experience.

The operation of an ocean-going vessel carries inherent risks. Our vessels and their cargoes are at risk of being damaged or lost because of events such as marine disasters, bad weather, and acts of God, business interruptions caused by mechanical failures, grounding, fire, explosions and collisions, human error, war, terrorism, piracy, disease, quarantine and other circumstances or events. In addition, changing economic, regulatory and political conditions in some countries, including political and military conflicts, have from time to time resulted in attacks on vessels, mining of waterways, piracy, terrorism, labor strikes and boycotts. These events may result in death or injury to persons, loss of revenues or property, the payment of ransoms, environmental damage, higher insurance rates, damage to our customer relationships, and market disruptions, delay or rerouting, which may also subject us to litigation. In addition, the operation of tankers has unique operational risks associated with the transportation of oil. An oil spill may cause significant environmental damage and the associated costs could exceed the insurance coverage available to us. Compared to other types of vessels, tankers are exposed to a higher risk of damage and loss by fire, whether ignited by a terrorist attack, collision, or other cause, due to the high flammability and high volume of the oil transported in tankers.

If our vessels suffer damage, they may need to be repaired at a drydocking facility. The costs of drydock repairs and maintenance are unpredictable and may be substantial. We may have to pay drydocking costs that our insurance does not cover in full. The loss of revenues while these vessels are being repaired and repositioned, as well as the actual cost of these repairs, may adversely affect our business and financial condition. In addition, space at drydocking facilities is sometimes limited and not all drydocking facilities are conveniently located. We may be unable to find space at a suitable drydocking facility or our vessels may be forced to travel to a drydocking facility that is not conveniently located to our vessels’ positions. The loss of earnings while these vessels are forced to wait for space or to travel to more distant drydocking facilities may adversely affect our business and financial condition. Further, the total loss of any of our vessels could harm our reputation as a safe and reliable vessel owner and operator. If we are unable to adequately maintain or safeguard our vessels, we may be unable to prevent any such damage, costs, or loss which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and available cash.

In addition, international shipping is subject to various security and customs inspection and related procedures in countries of origin and destination and trans-shipment points. Inspection procedures can result in the seizure of the cargo and/or our vessels, delays in the loading, offloading or delivery and the levying of customs duties, fines or other penalties against us. It is possible that changes to inspection procedures could impose additional financial and legal obligations on us. Furthermore, changes to inspection procedures could also impose additional costs and obligations on our customers and may, in certain cases, render the shipment of certain types of cargo uneconomical or impractical. Any such changes or developments may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and available cash.

Our FSO activities are subject to various risks, including delays, cost overruns, unavailability of supplies, employee negligence, defects in machinery, collisions, service damage to vessels, damage or loss to freight, piracy, war, political tensions or strikes. In case of delays in delivering FSO under service contract to the end-user, contracts can be amended and/or cancelled.canceled. Moreover, the operation of FSO vessels is subject to the inherent possibility of maritime disasters, such as oil spills and other environmental accidents, and to the obligations arising from the ownership and management of vessels in international trade. We have established current insurance against possible accidents and environmental damage and pollution that complies with applicable law and standard practices in the sector. However, there is no guarantee that such insurance will remain available at rates which are regarded as reasonable by us or that such insurance will remain sufficient to cover all losses incurred or the cost of each compensation claim made against us, or that ourus. Our insurance policies willdo not cover the loss of income resulting from a vessel becoming non-operational. Should compensation claims be made against us, our vessels may be impounded or subject to other judicial procedures, which would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We employ masters, officers and crews to man our vessels. If not resolved in a timely and cost-effective manner, industrial action or other labor unrest could prevent or hinder our operations from being carried out as we expect and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends.

The majority of our employees (land-based and offshore) are represented by collective bargaining agreements in Belgium, Greece, France and the Philippines. For a limited number of vessels, the employment of onboard staff is based on internationally negotiated collective bargaining agreements. In addition, many of these represented individuals are working under agreements that are subject to salary negotiation. These negotiations could result in higher personnel costs, other increased costs or increased operating restrictions that could adversely affect our financial performance. In addition, as part of our legal obligations, we are required to contribute certain amounts to retirement funds and pension plans (with insurance companies or integrated in a national social security scheme) and are bound to legal restrictions in our ability to dismiss employees. Any disagreements concerning ordinary or extraordinary collective bargaining may damage our reputation and the relationship with our employees and lead to labor disputes, including work stoppages, strikes and/or work disruptions, which could hinder our operations from being carried out normally, and if not resolved in a timely cost-effective manner, could have a material effect on our business.

In June 2016, a majority of voters in the United KingdomU.K. elected to withdraw from the European UnionEU in a national referendum (informally known as Brexit). The referendum was advisory,"Brexit"), and in March 2017, the government of the U.K. formally initiated the process which resulted in a formal withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020. There remains significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.K. and the termsEU. The withdrawal has also given rise to calls for the governments of any withdrawal are subjectother EU member states to a negotiation period. It is not clear what impact this will have on the conduct of cross-border business, and this uncertain outcome could increase volatility in the markets and could increase our regulatory compliance costs.consider withdrawal. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, have had and may continue to have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions. The withdrawalconditions and the stability of the United Kingdom from the EU may lead to a downturn across the European economies, and there is a risk that other countries in the European Union will look to hold referendums on whether to stay in or leave the EU. The potential effects of Brexit could have unpredictable consequences forglobal financial and shipping markets, and may adversely affectsignificantly reduce global market liquidity and restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our future performance,access to capital, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and on our consolidated financial position, results of operations cash flows and financial position.our ability to pay distributions. Additionally, Brexit, or similar events in other jurisdictions, could impact global markets, including foreign exchange and securities markets; any resulting changes in currency exchange rates, tariffs, treaties and other regulatory matters could in turn adversely impact our business and operations.

TheAlthough no vessels owned or operated by us have called on ports located in countries or territories subject to country-wide or territory-wide sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government andor other authorities have made certainor countries subject to certain sanctions and embargoes or have identified countriesby the U.S. government or other authorities as state sponsors of terrorism. From time to time on charterers’ instructions,terrorism (“Sanctioned Jurisdictions”) during 2019, our vessels may call on ports located in these countries or territories in the future on our charterers’ instructions and without our consent, even though we endeavor to take precautions reasonably designed to mitigate such countries. activities, including relevant provisions in charter agreements forbidding the use of our vessels in trade that would violate economic sanctions. If such activities result in a sanctions violation, we could be subject to monetary fines, penalties, or other sanctions, and our reputation and the market for our ordinary shares could adversely affected.

Sanctions and embargo laws and regulations vary in their application, as they do not all apply to the same covered persons or proscribe the same activities, and such sanctions and embargo laws and regulations may be amended ,strengthened or strengthenedweakened over time.

In addition, charterersCharterers and other parties that we have previously entered into contracts with regarding our vessels may be affiliated with persons or entities that are now or may soon be the subject of sanctions imposed by the U.S. Government and/or, the E.U.European Union, the United Nations, or other international bodies.bodies in the future. If we determine that such sanctions require us to terminate existing contracts or if we are found to be in violation of such sanctions, we may suffer reputational harm and our results of operations may be adversely affected.

Although we believe that we have been in compliance with all applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations, and intend to maintain such compliance, there can be no assurance that we will be in compliance in the future, particularly as the scope of certain laws may be unclear and may be subject to changing interpretations. Any such violation could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions that could severely impact our ability to access U.S. capital markets and conduct our business and could result in some investors deciding, or being required, to divest their interest, or not to invest, in us. In addition, certain institutional investors may have investment policies or restrictions that prevent them from holding securities of companies that have contracts with countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. The determination by these investors not to invest in, or to divest from, our ordinary shares may adversely affect the price at which our ordinary shares trade. Additionally, some investors may decide to divest their interest, or not to invest, in our company simply because we do business with companies that do business in sanctioned countries.countries or territories. Moreover, our charterers may violate applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations as a result of actions that do not involve us or our vessels, and those violations could in turn negatively affect our reputation. In addition, our reputation and the market for our securities may be adversely affected if we engage in certain other activities, such as entering into charters with individuals or entities in countries or territories subject to U.S. sanctions and embargo laws that are not controlled by the governments of those countries or territories, or engaging in operations associated with those countries or territories pursuant to contracts with third-parties that are unrelated to those countries or territories or entities controlled by their governments. Investor perception of the value of our ordinary shares may also be adversely affected by the consequences of war, trade war, the effects of terrorism, civil unrest and governmental actions in these and surrounding countries.

We expect that our vessels will call in ports where smugglers attempt to hide drugs and other contraband on vessels, with or without the knowledge of crew members. To the extent our vessels are found with contraband, whether inside or attached to the hull of our vessel and whether with or without the knowledge of any of our crew, we may face governmental or other regulatory claims which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Crew members, suppliers of goods and services to a vessel, shippers of cargo, secured lenders, and other parties may be entitled to a maritime lien against the relevant vessel for unsatisfied debts, claims or damages. In many jurisdictions, a maritime lien holder may enforce its lien by arresting or attaching a vessel through foreclosure proceedings. The arrest or attachment of one or more of our vessels could interrupt our business or require us to pay large sums of money to have the arrest lifted, which would have a negative effect on our cash flows.

In addition, in some jurisdictions, such as South Africa, under the “sister ship” theory of liability, a claimant may arrest both the vessel which is subject to the claimant’s maritime lien and any “associated” vessel, which is any vessel owned or controlled by the same owner. Claimants could try to assert “sister ship” liability against one vessel in our fleet for claims relating to another of our ships.

A government could requisition one or more of our vessels for title or hire. Requisition for title occurs when a government takes control of a vessel and becomes the owner. Also, a government could requisition our vessels for hire. Requisition for hire occurs when a government takes control of a vessel and effectively becomes the charterer at dictated charter rates. Generally, requisitions occur during a period of war or emergency. Government requisition of one or more of our vessels may negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and available cash.

As of April 15, 2019,14, 2020 we employed 7261 of our vessels (including the vessels we acquired from Gener8 in the Merger (such capitalized terms are defined herein) in either the spot market or in a spot market-oriented tanker pool, including 4239 vessels in the Tankers International Pool, or the TI Pool, a spot market-oriented pool in which we were a founding member in 2000, exposing us to fluctuations in spot market charter rates. We will also enter into spot charters in the future. The spot charter market may fluctuate significantly based upon tanker and oil supply and demand. Our partial reliance on the spot market contributes to fluctuations in cash flows from operating activities as a result of its exposure to highly cyclical tanker rates. For example, over the past eight years, VLCC spot market rates on the route from Arabian Gulf to Japan / China expressed as a time charter equivalent have ranged from rates below operating expenses to a high of $114,148$ 300,391 per day, and as of end-March 2019April 14, 2020, year-to-date earnings have averaged $27,948$86,100 per day on the new benchmark route between the Middle East Gulf and China. The VLCC benchmark route from the Arabian Gulf to the Far East was changed by the Baltic Exchange in 2018 from discharging in Japan to discharging in China, to better reflect current trading patterns in the VLCC market. The rate at which a change in oil demand impacts the demand for oil tankers depends not only on the nominal change in oil demand but also how this oil is traded. The successful operation of our vessels in the competitive spot charter market depends on, among other things, obtaining profitable spot charters and minimizing, to the extent possible, time spent waiting for charters and time spent traveling in ballast to pick up cargo. The spot market is very volatile, and, in the past, there have been periods when spot charter rates have declined below the operating cost of vessels. If future spot charter rates decline, then we may be unable to operate our vessels trading in the spot market profitably, meet our obligations, including payments on indebtedness, or pay dividends in the future. Furthermore, as charter rates for spot charters are fixed for a single voyage which may last up to several weeks, during periods in which spot charter rates are rising, we will generally experience delays in realizing the benefits from such increases.

Our revenues are also affected by our strategy to employ some of our vessels on time charters, which have a fixed income for a pre-set period of time as opposed to trading ships in the spot market where their earnings are heavily impacted by the supply and demand balance. Our ability to renew expiring contracts or obtain new charters will depend on the prevailing market conditions at the time. If we are not able to obtain new contracts in direct continuation with existing charters or for newly acquired vessels, or if new contracts are entered into at charter rates substantially below the existing charter rates or on terms otherwise less favorable compared to existing contracts terms, our revenues and profitability could be adversely affected. As of 15 April 2019,14, 2020, we employed onethree VLCC, fourfive Suezmax and two FSOs on time charters. All of the four newbuilding Suezmax vessels delivered to us during 2018 are each employed under a seven-year time charter contract.

The markets in which we compete experience fluctuations in the demand. Upon the expiration or termination of their current charters, we may not be able to obtain charters for our vessels currently employed and there may be a gap in employment of the vessels between current charters and subsequent charters. In particular, if oil and natural gas prices are low, or if it is expected that such prices will decrease in the future, at a time when we are seeking to arrange charters for our vessels, we may not be able to obtain charters at attractive rates or at all. Moreover, our revenue relating to spot voyages is impacted by the number of vessels on the spot market.

If the charters which we receive for the reemployment of our current vessels are less favorable, we will recognize less revenue from their operations. Our ability to meet our cash flow obligations will depend on our ability to consistently secure charters for our vessels at sufficiently high charter rates. We cannot predict the future level of demand for our services or future conditions in the oil and gas industry. If oil and gas companies do not continue to increase exploration, development and production expenditures, we may have difficulty securing charters or we may be forced to enter into charters at unattractive rates, which would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We have entered into, and may enter in the future, various contracts, including shipbuilding contracts or on long term contracts such as the FSO vessels operating offshore Qatar, credit facilities, insurance agreements, charter agreements and other agreements associated with the operation of our vessels. Such agreements subject us to counterparty risks. The ability of each of our counterparties to perform its obligations under a contract with us will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, general economic conditions, the condition of the maritime and offshore industries, the overall financial condition of the counterparty, charter rates received for specific types of vessels work stoppages or other labor disturbances, including as a result of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and various expenses. Charterers are sensitive to the commodity markets and may be impacted by market forces affecting commodities such as oil. For example, the combination of a reduction of cash flow resulting from declines in world trade, a reduction in borrowing bases under reserve-based credit facilities and the lack of availability of debt or equity financing may result in a significant reduction in the ability of our charterers to make charter payments to us. In addition, in depressed market conditions, our charterers and customers may no longer need a vessel that is currently under charter or contract or may be able to obtain a comparable vessel at lower rates. As a result, charterers and customers may seek to renegotiate the terms of their existing charter agreements or avoid their obligations under those contracts. Should a counterparty fail to honor its obligations under agreements with us, we could sustain significant losses which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Currently we do notWe currently have four VLCC vessels under construction which were acquired under a newbuilding program. We may,resale agreement in the future, enter into construction contracts or purchase vessels that are under construction.first quarter of 2020. These construction projects are subject to risks of delay or cost overruns inherent in any large construction project from numerous factors, including shortages of equipment, materials or skilled labor, unscheduled delays in the delivery of ordered materials and equipment or shipyard construction, failure of equipment to meet quality and/or performance standards, financial or operating difficulties experienced by equipment vendors or the shipyard, unanticipated actual or purported change orders, inability to obtain required permits or approvals, unanticipated cost increases between order and delivery, design or engineering changes and work stoppages and other labor disputes, public health threats, adverse weather conditions or any other potential events of force majeure. Significant cost overruns or delays could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, failure to complete a project on time may result in the delay of revenue from that vessel. In addition to the prevailing and anticipated freight rates, factors that affect the rate of newbuilding, scrappingrecycling and laying-up include newbuilding prices, secondhand vessel values in relation to scraprecycling prices, operating costs, costs associated with classification society surveys, normal maintenance costs, insurance coverage costs, the efficiency and age profile of the existing tanker fleet in the market, and government and industry regulation of maritime transportation practices, particularly environmental protection laws and regulations. These factors influencing the supply of and demand for shipping capacity are outside of our control, and we may not be able to correctly assess the nature, timing and degree of changes in industry conditions.

If for any reason we default under any of our newbuilding contracts, or otherwise fail to take delivery of our newbuilding vessels, we would be prevented from realizing potential revenues from such vessels, we could also lose all or a portion of our investment, including any installment payments made, and we could be liable for penalties and damages under such contracts. as well as suffer reputational damage.

In addition, in the event a shipyard does not perform under its contract, we may lose all or part of our investment, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

One of our strategies is to continue to grow by expanding our operations and adding to our fleet at attractive points in the cycle, including through mergers, strategic alliances or joint ventures. Our future growth will depend upon a number of factors, some of which may not be within our control. These factors include our ability to:

Our failure to effectively identify, purchase, develop and integrate any tankers or businesses could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The number of employees that perform services for us and our current operating and financial systems may not be adequate as we implement our plan to expand the size of our fleet, and we may not be able to effectively hire more employees or adequately improve those systems. We may incur unanticipated expenses as an operating company. Our current operating and financial systems may not be adequate as we implement our plan to expand the size of our fleet. Finally, additional acquisitions may require additional equity issuances, which may dilute our commonordinary shareholders if issued at lower prices than the price they acquired their shares or debt issuances (with amortization payments), both of which could reduce our cash flow. If we are unable to execute the points noted above, our financial condition may be adversely affected.

Growing any business by acquisition presents numerous risks such as undisclosed liabilities and obligations, difficulty in obtaining additional qualified personnel and managing relationships with customers and suppliers and integrating newly acquired operations into existing infrastructures. The expansion of our fleet may impose significant additional responsibilities on our management and staff, and the management and staff of our commercial and technical managers, and may necessitate that we, and they, increase the number of personnel. We cannot give any assurance that we will be successful in executing our growth plans or that we will not incur significant expenses and losses in connection with our future growth.

Under time charters the charterer is responsible for voyage expenses and the owner is responsible for the vessel operating costs. Under our spot charters, we are responsible for vessel operating expenses. When our owned vessels are operated in the spot market, we are also responsible for voyage expenses and vessel operating costs. Our vessel operating expenses include the costs of crew, provisions, deck and engine stores, fluctuating price of fuel expenses when our vessels operate in the spot or voyage market, insurance and maintenance and repairs, which expenses depend on a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Voyage expenses include bunkers (fuel), port and canal charges. If our vessels suffer damage, they may need to be repaired at a drydocking facility. The costs of drydock repairs are unpredictable and can be substantial. Increases in any of these expenses would decrease earnings and dividends per share.

While we do not directly bear the cost of fuel or bunkers under our time charters, fuel is a significant factor in negotiating charter rates. Fuel is also a significant, if not the largest, expense in our shipping operations when vessels are operated on the spot market under voyage charter. As a result, an increase in the price of fuel beyond our expectations may adversely affect our profitability at the time of charter negotiation. The price and supply of fuel is unpredictable and fluctuates based on events outside our control, including geopolitical developments, supply and demand for oil and gas, actions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and other oil and gas producers, war and unrest in oil producing countries and regions, regional production patterns and environmental concerns. Further, fuel mayhas become much more expensive as a result of new regulations mandating a reduction in the future,sulfur emissions to 0.5% as of January 2020, which may reduce the profitability and competitiveness of our business versus other forms of transportation, such as truck or rail.

OnEffective January 1, 2020, the IMO is expected to implementimplemented a new regulation for a 0.50% global sulfur cap for marine fuels.on emissions from vessels. Under this new global cap, vessels will have tomust use marine fuels with a sulfur content of no more than 0.50% against the current limitformer regulations specifying a maximum of 3.50% sulfur in an effort to reduce the emission of sulfur oxide into the atmosphere.atmosphere or use exhaust gas cleaning systems or 'scrubbers'.

We may incur costs to comply with these revised standards. Additional or new conventions, laws and regulations may be adopted that could require, among others, the installation of expensive emission control systems and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

With the exception of the 4 VLCC vessels under construction at DSME shipyard, none of our vessels are equipped with scrubbers and as of January 1, 2020 we have transitioned to burning IMO compliant fuels. We have opted notcontinue to install scrubbersevaluate different options in complying with IMO and other rules and regulations and continue to work closely with suppliers and producers onof both scrubbers and alternative mechanisms ahead of January 1, 2020,mechanism, including the procurement of physical low-sulfurlow sulfur fuel oil directly on the wholesale market and storage thereof at sea on a vessel owned by us, with a view to secure availability of qualitative compliant fuel oil and to capture volatility in prices between high-sulfur fuel oilhigh sulfur and low-sulfurlow sulfur fuel oil. The procurement of large quantities of low-sulfurlow sulfur fuel oil implies a commodity price risk uponbecause of fluctuations in the prices of the procured commodityprice between the time of the purchase and the consumption. WhileWhilst we may implement financial strategies with a view to limiting this risk, we cannot give any assurance that such strategies will be successful in which case we could sustain significant losses which could have a material adverse effectimpact on our business, financial condition, results of operationsoperation and cash flows.flow. The storage of and onward consumption on our vessels of the procured commodity may require us to blend, co-mingle or otherwise combine, handle or manipulate such commodities which implies certain operational risks that may result in loss of or damage to the procured commodities or to the vessels and itstheir machinery.

While we carry cargo insurance to protect us against certain risks of loss of or damage to the procured commodities, we may not be adequately insured to cover any losses from such operational risks, which could have a material adverse effect on us. Any significant uninsured or under-insured loss or liability could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition and our available cash.

The operation of tanker vessels and transportation of crude and petroleum products is extremely competitive and reduced demand for transportation of oil and oil products could lead to increased competition. Competition arises primarily from other tanker owners, including major oil companies and national oil companies or companies linked to authorities of oil producing or importing countries, as well as independent tanker companies, some of whom have substantially greater resources than we do. Competition for the transportation of oil and oil products can be intense and depends on price, location, size, age, condition and the acceptability of the tanker and its operator to the charterers. Our ability to operate our vessels profitably depends on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to the (i) loss or reduction in business from significant customers, (ii) unanticipated changes in demand for transportation of crude oil and petroleum products, (iii) changes in production of or demand for oil and petroleum products, generally or in particular regions, (iv) greater than anticipated levels of tanker newbuilding orders or lower than anticipated levels of tanker scrappings,recyclings, and (v) changes in rules and regulations applicable to the tanker industry, including legislation adopted by international organizations such as IMO and the EU or by individual countries.

Our market share may decrease in the future. If we expand our business or provide new services in new geographic regions, we may not be able to compete profitably. New markets may require different skills, knowledge or strategies than we use in our current markets, and the competitors in those new markets may have greater financial strength and capital resources than we do.

We currently derive a substantial portion of our revenue from a limited number of customers. For the year ended December 31, 2018,2019, Valero Energy Corporation, or Valero, accounted for 7%, and Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. accounted for 5%7.22 % of our total revenues in our tankers segment. In addition, our only FSO customer as of December 31, 20182019 was North Oil Company. All of our charter agreements have fixed terms, but may be terminated early due to certain events, such as a charterer’s failure to make charter payments to us because of financial inability, disagreements with us or otherwise. The ability of each of our counterparties to perform its obligations under a charter with us will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, general economic conditions, the condition of the tanker industry and the overall financial condition of the counterparty. Should a counterparty fail to honor its obligations under an agreement with us, we may be unable to realize revenue under that charter and could sustain losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay dividends, if any.

In addition, the charter payments we receive may be reduced if the vessel does not perform according to certain contractual specifications. For example, charterhirecharter hire may be reduced if the average vessel speed falls below the speed we have guaranteed or if the amount of fuel consumed to power the vessel exceeds the guaranteed amount. Additionally, compensation under our FSO service contracts is based on daily performance and/or availability of each FSO in accordance with the requirements specified in the applicable FSO service contracts. The charter payments we receive under our FSO service contracts may be reduced if the vessel is idle, but available for operation, or if a force majeure event occurs, or we may not be entitled to receive charter payments if the FSO is taken out of service for maintenance for an extended period, or the charter may be terminated if these events continue for an extended period.

If any of our charters are terminated, we may be unable to re-deploy the related vessel on terms as favorable to us as our current charters, or at all. We are exposed to changes in the spot market rates associated with the deployment of our vessels. If we are unable to re-deploy a vessel for which the charter has been terminated, we will not receive any revenues from that vessel and we may be required to pay ongoing expenses necessary to maintain the vessel in proper operating condition. Any of these factors may decrease our revenue and cash flows. Further, the loss of any of our charterers, charters or vessels, or a decline in charterhirecharter hire under any of our charters, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to pay dividends, if any, to our shareholders.

Our FSO service contracts have dayrates that are fixed over the contract term. In order to mitigate the effects of inflation on revenues from these term contracts, our FSO service contracts include yearly escalation provisions. These provisions are designed to recompense us for certain cost increases, including wages, insurance and maintenance costs. However, actual cost increases may result from events or conditions that do not cause correlative changes to the applicable escalation provisions. In addition, the adjustments are normally performed on an annual basis. For these reasons, the timing and amount received as a result of the adjustments may differ from the timing and amount of expenditures associated with actual cost increases, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition and ability to pay dividends, if any, to our shareholders.

We currently operate our FSOs offshore of Qatar, which has fields whose production lives deplete over time, and as a result, the overall activity in such fields may decline faster than anticipated. There are increased costs associated with retiring old oil and gas installations, which may threaten to slow the development of the region’s remaining resources.

Our current business strategy includes additional growth through the acquisition of new and secondhand vessels. While we try to inspect secondhand vessels prior to purchase, this does not provide us with the same knowledge about their condition that we would have had if these vessels had been built for and operated exclusively by us. Generally, as is customary in the shipping sector, we do not receive the benefit of warranties from the builders for the secondhand vessels that we acquire.

In general, the costs to maintain a vessel in good operating condition increase with the age of the vessel. Older vessels are typically less fuel-efficient than more recently constructed vessels due to improvements in engine technology. Cargo insurance rates increase with the age of a vessel, which could lead to older vessels being less desirable for charterers.

Governmental regulations, safety or other equipment standards related to the age of vessels may require expenditures for alterations or the addition of new equipment to our vessels and may restrict the type of activities in which the vessels may engage. As our vessels age, market conditions may not justify those expenditures or enable us to operate our vessels profitably during the remainder of their useful lives.

Our business strategy is based in part upon the expansion of our fleet through the purchase of additional vessels at attractive points in the cycle. If we are unable to fulfill our obligations under any memorandum of agreement or newbuilding construction contract for future vessel acquisitions, the sellers of such vessels may be permitted to terminate such contracts and we may forfeit all or a portion of the down payments we already made under such contracts and we may be sued for any outstanding balance.

If we do not set aside funds and are unable to borrow or raise funds for vessel replacement, we will be unable to replace the vessels in our fleet upon the expiration of their remaining useful lives. Our cash flows and income are dependent on the revenues earned by the chartering of our vessels. If we are unable to replace the vessels in our fleet upon the expiration of their useful lives, our business, results of operations, financial condition and available cash would be adversely affected. Any funds set aside for vessel replacement will reduce available cash.

We depend on the efforts, knowledge, skill, reputations and business contacts of our executive officers and other key employees. Accordingly, our success will depend on the continued service of these individuals. We may experience departures of senior executive officers and other key employees, and we cannot predict the impact that any of their departures would have on our ability to achieve our financial objectives. The loss of the services of any of them could, in the short term, have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

On February 4, 2019, we announced that Patrick Rodgers has decided to step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer or CEO during 2019 and on March 28, 2019, we announced that Hugo De Stoop, our current Chief Financial Officer or CFO, willwould succeed Patrick Rodgers as our CEO after a brief handover period which is expected to take place in the course of the second quarter ofperiod. Hugo De Stoop formally succeeded Patrick Rodgers on May 9 , 2019. As a result, we have commenced a recruitment process for a new replacement CFO. On January 1, 2020, Lieve Logghe joined us as new CFO. While we have confidence in our remaining senior management team, including members of the Company's Supervisory Board, of Directors, the uncertainty inherent in this ongoing leadership transition may be difficult to manage, may cause concerns from third parties with whom we do business, and may increase the likelihood of turnover of other key officers and employees. In addition, our future development and prospects depend to a large degree on the experience, performance and continued service of its senior management team, including athe new replacement CFO and members of our Board of Directors.Supervisory Board. Retention of these services or the identification of suitable replacements cannot be guaranteed. There can be no guarantee that the services of the current Directors and senior management teamSupervisory Board or Management Board members will be retained, or that suitably skilled and qualified individuals can be identified and employed, which may adversely impact our ability to commercial and financial performance. The loss of the services of any of the Directors or other members of the senior management teamSupervisory or Management Board and the costs of recruiting replacements may have a material adverse effect on our commercial and financial performance as well. If we are unable to hire, train and retain such personnel in a timely manner, our operations could be delayed and our ability to grow our business will be impaired and the delay and inability may have a detrimental effect upon our performance.

We require highly skilled personnel to operate our business, and will be required to hire additional highly trained personnel in connection with the operation of newly acquired vessels. Competition for skilled and other labor required for our operations has increased in recent years as the number of ocean-going vessels in the worldwide fleet has increased. If this expansion continues and is coupled with improved demand for seaborne shipping services in general, shortages of qualified personnel could further create and intensify upward pressure on wages and make it more difficult for us to staff and service vessels. Such developments could adversely affect our financial results and cash flow. Furthermore, as a result of any increased competition for people and risk for higher turnover, we may experience a reduction in the experience level of our personnel, which could lead to higher downtime and more operating incidents.

A foreign corporation will be treated as a “passive foreign investment company,” or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for any taxable year consists of certain types of “passive income” or (2) at least 50% of the average value of the corporation’s assets produce or are held for the production of those types of “passive income.” For purposes of these tests, “passive income” includes dividends, interest, and gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. For purposes of these tests, income derived from the performance of services does not constitute “passive income.” United States shareholders of a PFIC are subject to a disadvantageous United States federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by the PFIC, the distributions they receive from the PFIC and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their shares in the PFIC.

Based on our current and proposed method of operation, we do not believe that we will be a PFIC with respect to any taxable year. In this regard, we intend to treat the gross income we derive or are deemed to derive from our time chartering activities as services income, rather than rental income. Accordingly, our income from our time and voyage chartering activities should not constitute “passive income,” and the assets that we own and operate in connection with the production of that income should not constitute assets that produce or are held for the production of “passive income.”

There is substantial legal authority supporting this position, consisting of case law and United States Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, pronouncements concerning the characterization of income derived from time charters and voyage charters as services income for other tax purposes. However, it should be noted that there is also authority that characterizes time charter income as rental income rather than services income for other tax purposes. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the IRS or a court of law will accept this position, and there is a risk that the IRS or a court of law could determine that we are a PFIC. Moreover, no assurance can be given that we would not constitute a PFIC for any future taxable year if the nature and extent of our operations change.

If the IRS were to find that we are or have been a PFIC for any taxable year, our United States shareholders would face adverse United States federal income tax consequences and incur certain information reporting obligations. Under the PFIC rules, unless those shareholders make an election available under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code (which election could itself have adverse consequences for such shareholders), such shareholders would be subject to United States federal income tax at the then prevailing rates on ordinary income plus interest, in respect of excess distributions and upon any gain from the disposition of their ordinary shares, as if the excess distribution or gain had been recognized ratably over the shareholder’s holding period of the ordinary shares. See “Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-Passive Foreign Investment Company Status and Significant Tax Consequences” for a more comprehensive discussion of the United States federal income tax consequences to United States shareholders if we are treated as a PFIC.

Under the Code, 50% of the gross shipping income of a corporation that owns or charters vessels, as we and our subsidiaries do, that is attributable to transportation that begins or ends, but that does not both begin and end, in the United States may be subject to a 4% United States federal income tax without allowance for deductions, unless that corporation qualifies for exemption from tax under Section 883 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the United States Department of the Treasury or an applicable U.S. income tax treaty.

We and our subsidiaries continue to take the position that we qualify for either this statutory tax exemption or exemption under an income tax treaty for United States federal income tax return reporting purposes. However, there are factual circumstances beyond our control that could cause us to lose the benefit of this tax exemption and thereby become subject to United States federal income tax on our United States source shipping income. For example, we may no longer qualify for exemption under Section 883 of the Code for a particular taxable year if shareholders with a five percent or greater interest in our ordinary shares, or “5% Shareholders,” owned, in the aggregate, 50% or more of our outstanding ordinary shares for more than half the days during the taxable year, and there does not exist sufficient 5% Shareholders that are qualified shareholders for purposes of Section 883 of the Code to preclude non-qualified 5% Shareholders from owning 50% or more of our ordinary shares for more than half the number of days during such taxable year or we are unable to satisfy certain substantiation requirements with regard to our 5% Shareholders. Due to the factual nature of the issues involved, there can be no assurances on the tax-exempt status of us or any of our subsidiaries.

If we or our subsidiaries were not entitled to exemption under Section 883 of the Code for any taxable year, we or our subsidiaries could be subject for such year to an effective 2% United States federal income tax on the shipping income we or they derive during such year which is attributable to the transport of cargoes to or from the United States. The imposition of this taxation would have a negative effect on our business and would decrease our earnings available for distribution to our shareholders.

We may also be subject to tax in other jurisdictions, which could reduce our earnings.

Any dividends or other distributions we make to shareholders will, in principle, be subject to withholding tax in Belgium at a rate of 30%, except for shareholders which qualify for an exemption of withholding tax such as, amongst others, qualifying pension funds or a company qualifying as a parent company in the sense of the Council Directive (90/435/EEC) of July 23, 1990, or the Parent-Subsidiary Directive or that qualify for a lower withholding tax rate or an exemption by virtue of a tax treaty. Various conditions may apply and shareholders residing in countries other than Belgium are advised to consult their advisers regarding the tax consequences of dividends or other distributions made by us. Our shareholders residing in countries other than Belgium may not be able to credit the amount of such withholding tax to any tax due on such dividends or other distributions in any other country than Belgium. As a result, such shareholders may be subject to double taxation in respect of such dividends or other distributions.

Belgium and the United States have concluded a double tax treaty concerning the avoidance of double taxation, or the U.S.-Belgium Treaty. The U.S.-Belgium Treaty reduces the applicability of Belgian withholding tax to 15%, 5% or 0% for U.S. taxpayers, provided that the U.S. taxpayer meets the limitation of benefits conditions imposed by the U.S.-Belgium Treaty. The Belgian withholding tax is generally reduced to 15% under the U.S.-Belgium Treaty. The 5% withholding tax applies in cases where the U.S. shareholder is a company which holds at least 10% of the shares in the Company. A 0% Belgian withholding tax applies when the shareholder is a company which has held at least 10% of the shares in the Company for at least 12 months, or is, subject to certain conditions, a U.S. pension fund. The U.S. shareholders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisers to determine whether they can invoke the benefits and meet the limitation of benefits conditions as imposed by the U.S.-Belgium Treaty.

Changes to the tax regimes applicable to us, or the interpretation thereof, may impact our future operating results. In 2017 and early 2018 the Company took note of the correspondence between the Belgian authorities and the European Commission within the framework of request for extension of the state aid to the maritime industry by Belgium. Belgium extended the State of Belgium. Based onstate aid to the actual draftmaritime industry up to, and including, 31 December 2022. Belgium decided to adjust the tonnage tax law which includesentered into force retroactively as from January 1, 2018  to comply with the legislativerecommendations from the European Commission. The changes as requested byto the Commission, wetonnage tax regulations were reviewed but did or do not expecthave any adverse effect of these changes to our existing tonnage tax regime.regime or on the operations of the Company.   

We carry insurance to protect us against most of the accident-related risks involved in the conduct of our business, including marine hull and machinery insurance, protection and indemnity insurance, which include pollution risks, crew insurance and war risk insurance. However, we may not be adequately insured to cover losses from our operational risks, which could have a material adverse effect on us. Additionally, our insurers may refuse to pay particular claims and our insurance may be voidable by the insurers if we take, or fail to take, certain action, such as failing to maintain certification of our vessels with applicable maritime regulatory organizations. Any significant uninsured or under-insured loss or liability could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition and our available cash. In addition, we may not be able to obtain adequate insurance coverage at reasonable rates in the future during adverse insurance market conditions.

In addition, changes in the insurance markets attributable to terrorist attacks may also make certain types of insurance more difficult for us to obtain due to increased premiums or reduced or restricted coverage for losses caused by terrorist acts generally.

Because we obtain some of our insurance through protection and indemnity associations, which result in significant expenses to us, we may be required to make additional premium payments.

We may be subject to increased premium payments, or calls, in amounts based on our claim records, the claim records of our managers, as well as the claim records of other members of the protection and indemnity associations through which we receive insurance coverage for tort liability, including pollution-related liability. In addition, our protection and indemnity associations may not have enough resources to cover claims made against them. Our payment of these calls could result in significant expense to us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and available cash.

We had $1,866.8$1,853.0 million and $964.6$1,866.8 million of indebtedness as of December 31, 20182019 and December 31, 2017,2018, respectively, and expect to incur additional indebtedness as we further expand our fleet. Borrowing under our credit facilities are secured by our vessels and certain of our vessel owning subsidiaries’ bank accounts and if we cannot service our debt, we may lose our vessels or certain of our pledged accounts. Such borrowings under our credit facilities requires us to dedicate a part of our cash flow from operations to paying interest on our indebtedness. These payments limit funds available for working capital, capital expenditures and other purposes, including further equity or debt financing in the future. Amounts borrowed under our credit facilities bear interest at variable rates. Increases in prevailing rates could increase the amounts that we would have to pay to our lenders, even though the outstanding principal amount remains the same and our net income and cash flows would decrease. We expect our earnings and cash flow to vary from year to year due to the cyclical nature of the tanker industry. If we do not generate or reserve enough cash flow from operations to enable us to satisfy our short-term or medium- to long-term liquidity requirements or to otherwise satisfy our debt obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, which could dilute shareholders or negatively impact our financial results, depending on market conditions at the time, such as:

However, these alternative financing plans, if necessary, may not be sufficient to allow us to meet our debt obligations. If we are unable to meet our debt obligations or if some other default occurs under our credit facilities, our lenders could elect to declare that our debt, totally or partially, together with accrued interest and fees, to be immediately due and payable and proceed against the collateral vessels securing that debt even though the majority of the proceeds used to purchase the collateral vessels did not come from our credit facilities.

TheNotwithstanding a degree of volatility in vessel values, the market values of tankers have generally been depressed. The market prices for tankers declined significantly from historically high levels reached in early 2008, and remainremained at relatively low levels.levels and started recovering only recently. You should expect the market value of our vessels to fluctuate depending on general economic and market conditions affecting the shipping industry and prevailing charterhirecharter hire rates, competition from other tanker companies and other modes of transportation, types, sizes, propulsion mode, fuel consumption and ages of vessels, applicable governmental regulations and the cost of newbuildings. We believe that the current aggregate market value of our vessels will be in excess of loan to value amounts required under our credit facilities. Our credit facilities generally require that the fair market value of the vessels pledged as collateral never be less than between 125% and 145% as, depending on the applicable credit facility, of the aggregate principal amount outstanding under the loan. We were in compliance with these requirements as of December 31, 20182019 and as of the date of this annual report.

A decrease in vessel values or a failure to meet this ratio could cause us to breach certain covenants in our existing credit facilities and future financing agreements that we may enter into from time to time. If we breach such covenants and are unable to remedy the relevant breach or obtain a waiver, our lenders could accelerate our debt and foreclose on our owned vessels. Additionally, if we sell one or more of our vessels at a time when vessel prices have fallen, the sale price may be less than the vessel’s carrying value on our consolidated financial statements, resulting in a loss on sale or an impairment loss being recognized, ultimately leading to a reduction in earnings. In addition, due to the fact that FSO vessels are often purposely built for specific circumstances, and due to the absence of an efficient market for transactions of FSO vessels, the carrying values of our FSO’s may not represent their fair values at any point in time. Additionally, events beyond our control, including changes in the economic and business conditions in the shipping markets in which we operate, interest rate developments, changes in the funding costs of our banks and changes in vessel earnings and asset valuations and outbreaks of epidemic and pandemic of diseases, such as the recent outbreak of COVID-19, may affect our ability to comply with these covenants.

Our agreements governing our indebtedness, including the loan agreements that our 50%-owned joint ventures have entered into, impose certain operating and financial restrictions on us, mainly to ensure that the market value of the mortgaged vessel under the applicable credit facility does not fall below a certain percentage of the outstanding amount of the loan, which we refer to as the asset coverage ratio. In addition, certain of our credit facilities will require us to satisfy certain other financial covenants, which require us to, among other things, maintain:

In general, the operating restrictions that are contained in our credit facilities may prohibit or otherwise limit our ability to, among other things:

A violation of any of our financial covenants or operating restrictions contained in our credit facilities may constitute an event of default under our credit facilities, which, unless cured within the grace period set forth under the applicable credit facility, if applicable, or waived or modified by our lenders, provides our lenders with the right to, among other things, require us to post additional collateral, enhance our equity and liquidity, increase our interest payments, pay down our indebtedness to a level where we are in compliance with our loan covenants, sell vessels in our fleet, reclassify our indebtedness as current liabilities and accelerate our indebtedness and foreclose their liens on our vessels and the other assets securing the credit facilities, which would impair our ability to continue to conduct our business.

Furthermore, certain of our credit facilities contain a cross-default provision that may be triggered by a default under one of our other credit facilities, or those of our 50%-owned joint ventures. A cross-default provision means that a default on one loan would result in a default on certain other loans. Because of the presence of cross-default provisions in certain of our credit facilities, the refusal of any one lender under our credit facilities to grant or extend a waiver could result in certain of our indebtedness being accelerated, even if our other lenders under our credit facilities have waived covenant defaults under the respective credit facilities. If our secured indebtedness is accelerated in full or in part, it would be very difficult in the current financing environment for us to refinance our debt or obtain additional financing and we could lose our vessels and other assets securing our credit facilities if our lenders foreclose their liens, which would adversely affect our ability to conduct our business.

Moreover, in connection with any waivers of or amendments to our credit facilities that we may obtain, our lenders may impose additional operating and financial restrictions on us or modify the terms of our existing credit facilities. These restrictions may further restrict our ability to, among other things, pay dividends, make capital expenditures or incur additional indebtedness, including through the issuance of guarantees. In addition, our lenders may require the payment of additional fees, require prepayment of a portion of our indebtedness to them, accelerate the amortization schedule for our indebtedness and increase the interest rates they charge us on our outstanding indebtedness. Our credit facilities contain provisions that entitle the lenders to require us to prepay to the lenders their respective portion of any advances granted to us under the facility, which could negatively impact our financial results.

As of December 31, 20182019 and as of the date of this annual report, we were in compliance with the financial covenants contained and other restrictions in our debt agreements.

For more information, please read “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.”

In addition, we have provided, and may continue to provide in the future, unsecured loans to our joint ventures which we treat as additional investments in the joint ventures. Accordingly, in the event our joint ventures do not repay these loans as they become due and payable, the value of our investment in such entities may decline. Furthermore, we have provided, and may continue to provide in the future, guarantees to certain banks with respect to commercial bank indebtedness of our joint ventures. Failure on behalf of any of our joint ventures to service its debt requirements and comply with any provisions contained in its commercial loan agreements, including paying scheduled installments and complying with certain covenants, may lead to an event of default under its loan agreement. As a result, if our joint ventures are unable to obtain a waiver or do not have enough cash on hand to repay the outstanding borrowings, their lenders may foreclose their liens on the vessels securing the loans or seek repayment of the loan from us, or both, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

LIBOR is the subject of recent national, international and other regulatory guidance and proposals for reform. These reforms and other pressures may cause LIBOR to be eliminated or to perform differently than in the past. The consequences of these developments cannot be entirely predicted, but could include an increase in the cost of our variable rate indebtedness and obligations. The amounts outstanding under our senior secured credit facilities have been, and amounts under additional credit facilities that we may enter in the future will generally be, advanced at a floating rate based on LIBOR, which has been volatile in prior years, which can affect the amount of interest payable on our debt, and which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our earnings and cash flow. In addition, in recent years, LIBOR has been at relatively low levels, and may rise in the future as the current low interest rate environment comes to an end. Our financial condition could be materially adversely affected at any time that we have not entered into interest rate hedging arrangements to hedge our exposure to the interest rates applicable to our credit facilities and any other financing arrangements we may enter into in the future. Moreover, even if we have entered into interest rate swaps or other derivative instruments for purposes of managing our interest rate exposure, our hedging strategies may not be effective and we may incur substantial losses.

LIBOR has historically been volatile, with the spread between LIBOR and the prime lending rate widening significantly at times. These conditions are the result of the disruptions in the international credit markets. Because the interest rates borne by our outstanding indebtedness fluctuate with changes in LIBOR, if this volatility were to occur, it would affect the amount of interest payable on our debt, which in turn, could have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flow.

Furthermore, the calculation of interest in most financing agreements in our industry has been based on published LIBOR rates. Recently, however, there isDue in part to uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process which may result in the phasingrecent years, it is likely that LIBOR will be phased out of LIBOR in the future. As a result, lenders have insisted on provisions that entitle the lenders, in their discretion, to replace published LIBOR as the base for the interest calculation with their cost-of-funds rate. If we are required to agree to such a provision in future financing agreements, our lending costs could increase significantly, which would have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flow.

In addition, the banks currently reporting information used to set LIBOR will likely stop such reporting after 2021, when their commitment to reporting information ends. The Alternative Reference Rate Committee, or “Committee”, a committee convened by the Federal Reserve that includes major market participants, has proposed an alternative rate to replace U.S. Dollar LIBOR: the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or “SOFR.” The impact of such a transition away from LIBOR wouldto SOFR could be significant for us because of our substantial indebtedness..

In order to manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations, we may from time to time use interest rate derivatives to effectively fix some of our floating rate debt obligations. No assurance can however be given that the use of these derivative instruments, if any, may effectively protect us from adverse interest rate movements. The use of interest rate derivatives may affect our results through mark to market valuation of these derivatives. Also, adverse movements in interest rate derivatives may require us to post cash as collateral, which may impact our free cash position. Interest rate derivatives may also be impacted by the transition from LIBOR to SOFR or other alternative rates.

We have entered into and may selectively in the future enter into additional derivative contracts to hedge our overall exposure to interest rate risk exposure. Entering into swaps and derivatives transactions is inherently risky and presents various possibilities for incurring significant expenses. The derivatives strategies that we employ currently or in the future may not be successful or effective, and we could, as a result, incur substantial additional interest costs and recognize losses on such arrangements in our financial statements. Such risk may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” for a description of our interest rate swap arrangements.

As a result of our international operations, we are exposed to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates due to parts of our operating costs being expressed in currencies other than U.S. dollars, primarily in Euro. As a result, there is transactional risk to us that currency fluctuations will have a negative effect on the value of our cash flows and our financial condition. Accordingly, we may experience currency exchange losses if we have not fully hedged our exposure to a foreign currency, which could lead to fluctuations in our results of operations.

In January 2015, we became subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and the other rules and regulations of the SEC, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and as such, we have significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur previously. In 2016, we became subject to the requirements as directed by Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, requiring an auditor attestation with respect to our internal control over financial reporting or ICOFR. These reporting obligations impose various requirements on US registered public companies, including changes in corporate governance practices, and these requirements may continue to evolve. We and our management personnel, and other personnel, if any, devote a substantial amount of time to comply with these requirements. Moreover, these rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly.

A significant portion of our earnings are related to the oil industry.  A shift in the consumer demand from oil towards other energy resources such as wind energy, solar energy, waterhydrogen energy or nuclear energy will potentially affect the demand for our vessels.  This could have a material adverse effect on our future performance, results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

Seaborne trading and distribution patterns are primarily influenced by the relative advantage of the various sources of production, locations of consumption, pricing differentials and seasonality. Changes to the trade patterns of oil and oil products may have a significant negative or positive impact on the ton-mile and therefore the demand for our tankers. This could have a material adverse effect on our future performance, results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

Our strategy is to own and operate a fleet large enough to provide global coverage, but no larger than what the demand for our services can support over a longer period by both contracting newbuildings and through acquisitions and disposals in the secondhand market. Our business is greatly influenced by the timing of investments and/or divestments and contracting of newbuildings. If we are unable to identify the optimal timing of such investments, divestments or contracting of newbuildings in relation to the shipping value cycle due to capital restraints, this could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, future performance, results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

The efficient operation of our business is dependent on computer hardware and software systems. Information systems are vulnerable to security breaches by computer hackers and cyber-terrorists. We rely on industry accepted security & control frameworks and technology to securely maintain confidential and proprietary information and personal data maintained on our information systems. However, these measures and technology may not adequately prevent security breaches. In addition, the unavailability of the information systems or the failure of these systems to perform as anticipated for any reason could disrupt our business and could result in decreased performance and increased operating costs, causing our business and results of operations to suffer. Any significant interruption or failure of our information systems or any significant breach of security could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as our cash flows. Furthermore, as from May 25, 2018, data breaches on personal data as defined in the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (EU), could lead to administrative fines up to €20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the company, whichever is higher.

Certain of our directors are associated with major shareholders, which may create conflicts of interest. Because these directors owe fiduciary duties to both us and those shareholders, conflicts of interest may result in matters involving or affecting us and our customers. In addition, they may have conflicts of interest when faced with decisions that could have different implications for those shareholders than they do for us. Any such conflicts of interest could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and the trading price of our ordinary shares. For further discussion of transactions with, or involving, our directors that may give rise to potential conflicts of interest, please see "Item 6.A and F/S note 21 “Related Parties”: Relationship with CMB - Properties - Registration Rights”.

On December 20, 2017, the Company, Gener8 Maritime. Inc.,  a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands or Gener8 and Euronav MI Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger or the Merger Agreement to govern a stock-for-stock merger or the Mergermerger with Gener8 for the entire issued and outstanding share capital of Gener8. The Mergermerger with Gener8 closed in June 2018.

We believe that the Mergermerger with Gener8 will continue to provide benefits to the combined company. However, there is a risk that some or all of the expected benefits of the Merger may fail to materialize, or may not occur within the time periods anticipated. The realization of such benefits may be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to the strength or weakness of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where we do business, the effects of competition in the markets in which we operate, and the impact of changes in the laws and regulations regulating the seaborne transportation or refined petroleum products industries or affecting domestic or foreign operations. The challenge of coordinating previously separate businesses makes evaluating our business and future financial prospects difficult. The success of the Merger, including anticipated benefits and cost savings, depends, in part, on the ability to successfully integrate the operations of both companies in a manner that results in various benefits, including, among other things, an expanded market reach and operating efficiencies, and that does not materially disrupt existing relationships nor result in decreased revenues or dividends. The past financial performance of each of us and Gener8 may not be indicative of our future financial performance. Realization of the anticipated benefits in the Merger depends, in part, on the our ability to successfully integrate the two businesses. We devote significant management attention and resources to integrating all of the business practices and support functions. The diversion of management’s attention and any delays or difficulties encountered in connection with the aftermath of the Merger and the coordination of the two companies’ operations could have an adverse effect on the business, financial results, financial condition or our share price. The coordination process may also result in additional and unforeseen expenses in the aftermath of the Merger.

Failure to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the Merger may impact the financial performance of the combined company, the price of our ordinary shares and our ability to pay dividends, which will be at the discretion of its board of directors in accordance with our dividend policy. In addition, even if we do not realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger, we would remain liable for significant transaction costs, including legal, accounting and financial advisory fees. There is continuing risk that there may be resulting disruptions in and uncertainty surrounding our businesses, including impacts on our relationships with our existing and future customers, suppliers and employees, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, regardless in the aftermath of the Merger. In particular, we could potentially lose customers or suppliers,"See - Operating and new customer or supplier contracts could be delayed or decreased. These uncertainties may impair our ability to attract, retainFinancial Review and motivate key personnel in the aftermath of the Merger. In addition, we have expended, and continue to expend, significant management resources, in an effort to successfully integrate or continue to integrate the two companies in the aftermath of theProspects - The Merger which are being diverted from our day-to-day operations. In addition, the failure to successfully integrate the two companies in the aftermath of the Merger may result in negative publicity or a negative impression of us in the investment community and may affect our relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, lenders and other partners in the business community.

We may continue to incur a number of non-recurring costs associated with the Mergermerger with Gener8 and combining Gener8’s operations into our operations. We are subject to significant transaction costs and integration-related fees and costs related to formulating and implementing integration plans, including systems consolidation costs and employment-related costs. We continue to assess the amount of these costs, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the aftermath of the Merger. Although we expect to realize other efficiencies related to the integration of us with Gener8 which may allow us to offset integration-related costs over time, this net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all.

A violation of any of our financial covenants or operating restrictions contained in our credit facilities may constitute an event of default under our credit facilities, which, unless cured within the grace period set forth under the applicable credit facility, if applicable, or waived or modified by our lenders, provides our lenders with the right to, among other things, require us to post additional collateral, enhance our equity and liquidity, increase our interest payments, pay down our indebtedness to a level where we are in compliance with our loan covenants, sell vessels in our fleet, reclassify our indebtedness as current liabilities and accelerate our indebtedness and foreclose their liens on our vessels and the other assets securing the credit facilities, which would impair our ability to continue to conduct our business.

Furthermore, certain of our credit facilities contain a cross-default provision that may be triggered by a default under one of our other credit facilities. A cross-default provision means that a default on one loan would result in a default on certain other loans. Because of the presence of cross-default provisions in certain of our credit facilities, the refusal of any one lender under our credit facilities to grant or extend a waiver could result in certain of our indebtedness being accelerated, even if our other lenders under our credit facilities have waived covenant defaults under the respective credit facilities. If our secured indebtedness is accelerated in full or in part, it would be very difficult in the current financing environment for us to refinance our debt or obtain additional financing and we could lose our vessels and other assets securing our credit facilities if our lenders foreclose their liens, which would adversely affect our ability to conduct our business.

Moreover, in connection with any waivers of or amendments to our credit facilities that we may obtain, our lenders may impose additional operating and financial restrictions on us or modify the terms of our existing credit facilities. These restrictions may further restrict our ability to, among other things, pay dividends, make capital expenditures or incur additional indebtedness, including through the issuance of guarantees. In addition, our lenders may require the payment of additional fees, require prepayment of a portion of our indebtedness to them, accelerate the amortization schedule for our indebtedness and increase the interest rates they charge us on our outstanding indebtedness.

Additional information concerning the risks, uncertainties and assumptions associated with the Merger can be found in the section entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus on Form F-4 (Registration No. 333-223039), as amended and supplemented, that was initially filed with the SEC on February 14, 2018, and as may be subsequently amended.

The market price of our ordinary shares has historically fluctuated over a wide range and may continue to fluctuate significantly in response to many factors, such as actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results, changes in financial estimates by securities analysts, economic and regulatory trends, general market conditions, rumors, fabricated news, business interruptions caused by the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Since 2008, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. If the volatility in the market continues or worsens, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares and impact a potential sale price if holders of our ordinary shares decide to sell their shares.

WeIn accordance with the authorization granted by the General Meeting of 13 May 2015, we have the option but not the obligation of buying our own shares back should we believe there is a substantial value disconnect between the share price and the real value of the Company. We started buyingCompany until May 2020. During 2019 we bought back shares on December 19 2018from January until March and announced share buybacks on January 2 2019, January 10 2019, January 21 2019, February 13 2019, February 22 2019, March 6 2019,during June and March 18 2019 with aJuly. Following these transactions, we now own 4,946,216 of our own shares (2.25% of the total of 2,678,129 shares.outstanding shares). We may continue to buy back our shares opportunistically.opportunistically under the conditions laid down by law and subject to a valid authorization. The extent to which we do so and the timing of these purchases, will depend upon a variety of factors, including market conditions, regulatory requirements and other corporate considerations.