Statoil to Charter Seven New Supply Ships
The company's announcement is a boost for the shipbuilding industry. All of the vessels will exceed the strictest NOx emission requirements of IMO, and some will have the highest oil spill protection classification.
Statoil, a major energy company based in Norway, announced June 15 it has awarded contracts to charter seven new supply ships for service on the Norwegian continental shelf, including one that is LNG-powered and will be the sixth vessel powered by LNG that Statoil has chartered on a long-term basis. The vessels will be delivered by the end of 2014.
"The seven newbuildings solidly equip us to meet the requirements for delivering supplies on the Norwegian continental shelf in future," said Jannicke Hilland, head of Joint Operations for Statoil, which has 21,000 employees worldwide, operates in 36 countries, and is listed on the New York and Oslo stock exchanges.
Two of the new ships will be supplied by Farstad Shipping, two by Atlantic Offshore, one by Simon Møkster Shipping, one by Troms Offshore Management, and the LNG-powered one by Remøy Shipping. The total contract value is 3.5 billion Norwegian krone, equivalent to about $585 million in U.S. dollars.
Statoil's announcement said all of the vessels will exceed the strictest NOx emission requirements of the International Maritime Organization and will be equipped with an ecometer, a device allowing their crews to sail more optimally and thus reduce emissions. In addition, the ships that will operate in the region known as the High North will have the highest oil spill protection classification. "We can see that supply needs in the High North will increase, and the two vessels from Simon Møkster Shipping and Troms Offshore will play key roles there," Hilland said.
"We are pleased to note the great interest shown in supplying vessels to us, and in particular I would like to emphasize how the maritime industry is providing innovative technology that leads to more environmentally friendly sea-going transport," said Statoil Chief Procurement Officer Jon Arnt Jacobsen.