d883041_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: May 2008
 
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.
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Yes [_]   No [X]
 
If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):
82-______________.


 
 

 

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
 
Attached to this report on Form 6-K as Exhibit 1 is a press release of Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited dated May 13, 2008, relating to the pricing of its previously announced offering of 4,000,000 common shares being offered pursuant to its effective shelf registration statement.
 
This Report on Form 6-K is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company's Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-137598) filed on May 12, 2008, and its preliminary prospectus supplement dated May 12, 2008 to its prospectus dated May 12, 2008 relating to such offering of common shares.
 


 
 

 

Exhibit 1
 
 
 
 
 
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited (NYSE:NAT) Prices Public Offering.

Hamilton, Bermuda, May 13, 2008

Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited (the “Company”) today announced that it has priced an offering of 4,000,000 common shares. 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, and Dahlman Rose & Company is acting as a co-manager for the offering. The Company expects to close the sale of the common shares on May 16, 2008, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 600,000 additional shares to cover over-allotments.

On May 12, 2008, the closing price of the Company’s common shares on the New York Stock Exchange was $40.08 per share. The common shares purchased by the underwriters are being offered for resale by the underwriters in an at-the-market offering in negotiated transactions or otherwise, at market prices prevailing on the New York Stock Exchange at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price or otherwise.

The net proceeds of the offering are expected to be used to prepare the Company for further expansion and, in the meantime, the Company intends to use net proceeds to repay borrowings under its credit facility and for working capital.

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 fourteen modern double-hull Suezmax tankers including two newbuilding Suezmax tankers 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)
 
 
 
Dated:  May 13, 2008
 By: /s/  Herbjørn Hansson
   
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
 
 




SK 01318 0002 883041