remain positive on our core business and look forward to four additional VLGCs joining our fleet during calendar year 2023 and additional earnings capacity following scrubber installations on three additional vessels. We closely monitor evolving technologies and opportunities in our sector as well as potentially attractive investments in related areas. As always, I acknowledge, with gratitude, the good work of Dorian’s people working at sea and on shore”.
Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2023 Results Summary
Net income amounted to $51.3 million, or $1.27 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $16.6 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2021.
Adjusted net income amounted to $52.0 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to adjusted net income of $13.5 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2021. Adjusted net income for the three months ended December 31, 2022 is calculated by adjusting net income for the same period to exclude an unrealized loss on derivative instruments of $0.7 million. Please refer to the reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income, which appears later in this press release.
The $38.5 million increase in adjusted net income for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2021, is primarily attributable to increases of $34.7 million in revenues and $1.1 million in interest income, a $2.3 million favorable change in realized gain/(loss) on derivatives, a $1.3 million favorable change in other gain/(loss) and net decreases of $0.9 million in depreciation and amortization, $0.4 million in voyage expenses and $0.3 million in vessel operating expenses, partially offset by increases of $1.2 million in interest and finance costs, $1.0 million in general and administrative expenses, and $0.3 million in charter hire expenses.
The TCE rate per operating day for our fleet was $52,768 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, a 57.5% increase from $33,508 for the same period in the prior year, driven by higher spot rates despite higher bunker prices. Please see footnote 7 to the table in “Financial Information” below for information related to how we calculate TCE. Total fleet utilization (including the utilization of our vessels deployed in the Helios Pool) decreased from 98.5% during the three months ended December 31, 2021 to 97.8% during the three months ended December 31, 2022.
Vessel operating expenses per day increased to $9,739 for the three months ended December 31, 2022 compared to $9,423 in the same period in the prior year. Please see “Vessel Operating Expenses” below for more information.
Revenues
Revenues, which represent net pool revenues—related party, time charters and other revenues, net, were $103.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $34.7 million, or 50.6%, from $68.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021 primarily due to an increase in average TCE rates, partially offset by a decrease in fleet utilization. Average TCE rates increased by $19,260 per operating day from $33,508 for the three months ended December 31, 2021 to $52,768 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to higher spot rates despite higher bunker prices. The Baltic Exchange Liquid Petroleum Gas Index, an index published daily by the Baltic Exchange for the spot market rate for the benchmark Ras Tanura-Chiba route (expressed as U.S. dollars per metric ton), averaged $119.106 during the three months ended December 31, 2022 compared to an average of $59.252 for the three months ended December 31, 2021. The average price of very low sulfur fuel oil (expressed as U.S. dollars per metric ton) from Singapore and Fujairah increased from $609 during the three months ended December 31, 2021, to $676 during the three months ended December 31, 2022. Our fleet utilization decreased from 98.5% during the three months ended December 31, 2021 to 97.8% during the three months ended December 31, 2022.
Charter Hire Expenses
Charter hire expenses for the vessels chartered in from third parties were $5.2 million and $4.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase of $0.3 million, or 6.1%, was mainly caused by an increase in the number of chartered-in days from 169 for the three months ended December 31, 2021 to 184 for the three months ended December 31, 2022.