DUBAI - Royal Dutch Shell Plc has increased its floating storage capacity for fuel by about 1.3 million barrels, shipbrokers and traders said on Monday.

The oil major has booked the 90,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) clean petroleum tanker the River Pride for $2.1 million from June 20, and a second tanker, the Survetta of similar size from June 30, shipbrokers said.

Both tankers are going to be used for storage in Northwest Europe, and will likely be loading up product in Asia, a Singapore based shipbroker said.

This is the first booking we have seen from them on the open spot market... they have been using their own vessels for storage so far.

Shell could have as many as 10 ships being used to store gas oil or jet fuel in Northwest Europe, traders and shipbrokers said.

Dubai Water