d953633_6-k.htm

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of January 2009

Commission File Number:  001-13944

NORDIC AMERICAN TANKER SHIPPING LIMITED
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
 
LOM Building, 27 Reid Street, Hamilton, HM 11, Bermuda
(Address of principal executive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F [X]       Form 40-F [  ]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ___

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)7: ___

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.



 
 

 

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
 
Attached as Exhibit 1 is a press release of Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited dated January 8, 2009, relating to the pricing of its previously announced offering of 3,000,000 common shares being offered pursuant to its effective shelf registration statement.

 

 
 

 

EXHIBIT 1
 


 
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NAT)-(NYSE:NAT) Announces Pricing of Public Offering.
 
Hamilton, Bermuda, January 8, 2009
 
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (the “Company”) today announced the pricing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 3,000,000 common shares at a price of $32.50 per share.  The common shares are being offered pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement.  Morgan Stanley is acting as the bookrunning manager for the offering.  The Company expects to close the sale of the common shares on January 13, 2009, subject to customary closing conditions.  The Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 450,000 additional shares to cover over-allotments.
 
As previously announced, the Company is conducting the offering in order to fund further acquisitions under planning.
 
The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement. A prospectus supplement related to the offering will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. When available, copies of the prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the offering may be obtained from the offices of Morgan Stanley at 180 Varick Street, Second Floor, New York, New York 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department or by email at prospectus@morganstanley.com.
 
 
About the Company
 
The Company is an international tanker company that owns 12 modern double-hull Suezmax tankers and has agreed to acquire an additional three double-hull Suezmax tankers, of which two are newbuilding Suezmax tankers and one is an existing modern Suezmax tanker that the Company has agreed to acquire.
 
 
 
 

 
 
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 

 
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements.  The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business.  Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.
 
The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.
 
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our 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 which 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.  We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
 
Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC’s petroleum production levels and world wide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hire, failure on the part of a seller to complete a sale to us and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our Reports on Form 6-K.
 
Contacts:
Scandic American Shipping Ltd
Manager for:
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited
P.O Box 56, 3201 Sandefjord, Norway
Tel: + 47 33 42 73 00 E-mail:  nat@scandicamerican.com

Rolf Amundsen, Investor Relations
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited
Tel: +1 800 601 9079 or + 47 908 26 906

Gary J. Wolfe
Seward & Kissel LLP, New York, USA
Tel: +1 212 574 1223

Herbjørn Hansson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited
Tel:  +1 866 805 9504 or + 47 901 46 291
 
 
 

 

SIGNATURES
 

 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 

 

 
NORDIC AMERICAN TANKER SHIPPING LIMITED
 
(Registrant)
 

 

 

 
Date:  January 8, 2009       By: /s/ Herbjørn Hansson                                                
    Herbjørn Hansson  
    Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President