Oil-tanker earnings surged above the $100,000-a-day marker on the benchmark route as a looming ship-fuel revolution combined with U.S. sanctions to supercharge rates. The rates for ships hauling 2-million-barrel cargoes of Middle East oil to China climbed more than 15% to $113,047-a-day, according to data from the Baltic Exchange in London. That’s the highest in data going back to February 2017. The U.S. move to impose Iran-related sanctions on Chinese companies including units of China COSCO Shipping Corp., one of the world’s biggest vessel owners, is among the factors that propelled rates higher, according to ... (full story)