State oil giant Saudi Aramco said its shipping subsidiary Vela International Marine had started to operate a new Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC).

Matar Star, which is the third of four VLCCs Vela ordered from South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, entered into service on October 26, Aramco said in a statement on its website.

The Dubai-based firm currently operates 20 VLCCs and five product ships, according to its website. Each VLCC can carry 2.1 million barrels of crude oil per voyage.

Vela has expanded its fleet from 4 second-hand tankers it had when it was formed in 1984.-Reuters