Oman Drydock targets LNG carrier repair market

Giant yard is the result of a $1.5 billion investment

MAY 13, 2014 — Oman Drydock Company (ODC) and its partner DSEC, a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company Ltd, will be using the upcoming Posidonia event to promote an LNG tanker repair package
 
“Working with DSME we believe we have developed one of the most advanced LNG repair packages in the world,” says ODC Chief Executive Yong Duk Park. “Our new services will cover areas such as cargo containment systems and the supply chain of various materials such as INVAR, insulation boxes, membranes, prefabricated panels and cryogenic safety valves. Meanwhile, we are also investing in new facilities including renovating our cryogenic shop so it can cater to repairing up to four LNGCs at any one time. Our expansion into LNGC will further be strengthened by our new license to support the French engineering firm Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) which specializes in cargo containment systems for high-end LNG carriers. “

Located in Duqm, Oman, ODC is a massive shipyard with facilities that include two graving docks (one of 600,000 dwt capacity, the other a 500,000 dwt unit) and an 80,000 dwt capacity floating dry dock. Following a soft opening in 2011 the $1.5bn shipyard, which is 1.3m sq metres in size, has drydocked more than 230 vessels.

Mr Park said the Greek shipping market is of vital importance to ODC.

“ODC has already delivered repairs for more than 50 Greek owned or operated ships,” he said.  “We have an important relationship with Dynacom Ship Management helping drydock a number of its vessels including VLCCs. We are further proud to repair the Astro Polaris owned by Maran Tankers which we delivered a day ahead of schedule.”

“We have worked enormously hard to develop a robust track record working on a wide variety of ships from Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to containerships to LNG and LPG carriers to chemical carriers dredgers, RO-ROs and barges,” he said. “We can now show the shipping industry we not only have world class facilities, which include our massive dry docks which can accommodate any size of vessel, but we have the experience too.

“We know we can deliver on quality, cost and critically time. Our geographical location thrusts us into pole position for the Asia to Europe shipping route as well as the East African and Indian offshore industries.  We can further slash costs and the time required for drydocking as vessels do not need to greatly deviate their course. This can save days in time, and a huge amount of money, which is such a key factor for shipping operators balancing tight budgets. Other key selling points include our unrivalled painting services and ability to deal with sludge and slops disposal   With painting we have the perfect climate that few other yards can offer. With slops we can save up to three days sailing time as we can deal with it all here on site, there is no need to sail to another location. We intend to market all these benefits hard in the coming months and years.”