CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This registration statement and any other written or oral statements made by us or on our behalf may include forward-looking statements, which reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are statements other than statements of historical facts. When used in this registration statement, statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “continue,” “seeks,” “views,” “possible,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” and similar words, phrases, or expressions identify forward-looking statements, and the negatives of those words, phrases, or expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results “can,” “will,” “may,” “must,” “would,” “could,” or “should” occur or be achieved and similar expressions in connection with any discussion, expectation, or projection of future operating or financial performance, costs, regulations, events, or trends identify forward-looking statements. The absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
The forward-looking statements in this registration statement are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records, and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs, or projections.
In addition to these assumptions and matters discussed elsewhere herein and, in the documents, incorporated by reference herein, important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the following:
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our ability to maintain or develop new and existing customer relationships with major crude oil companies and major commodity traders, including our ability to enter into long-term charters for our vessels, and those we may acquire in the future;
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our future operating and financial results;
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our future vessel acquisitions, sales, our business strategy, and expected and unexpected capital spending or operating expenses, including general and administrative, drydocking, crewing, bunker costs, and insurance costs;
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our financial condition and liquidity, including our ability to pay amounts that we owe and to obtain financing in the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate activities;
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oil tanker industry trends, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values and factors affecting vessel supply and demand;
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our ability to take delivery of, integrate into our fleet, and employ any vessels we may acquire in the future, or any newbuildings we may acquire or order in the future and the ability of shipyards to deliver vessels on a timely basis;
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our dependence on our technical manager, Kyklades Maritime Corporation, an affiliate of our Chairman, to operate our vessels;
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the aging of our vessels, and those we may acquire in the future, and resultant increases in operation and drydocking costs;
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the ability of our vessels, and any vessels we may acquire in the future, to pass classification inspections and vetting inspections by oil majors and big chemical corporations, or other authorities;
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significant changes in vessel performance, including increased vessel breakdowns;
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length and number of off hire days, drydocking requirements, and insurance costs;
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availability of key employees and crew;