Brazil’s EAS starts sea trials of first Transpetro Suezmax

Brazilian shipbuilder Estaleiro Atlântico Sul (EAS) has started the sea trials of the Suezmax tanker João Cândido. Brazilian website Portal Naval notes that the vessel, the first in a series of ten, should have been delivered a year ago, but is still undergoing structural testing of cargo tanks and verification of the operating conditions of the ship systems.

Portal Naval also reports that market estimates are that the ship will be delivered at 23 percent above the average price per ship in the original ten ship contract.

EAS President Agostinho Serafim hailed the start of sea trials as a “landmark for Brazilian shipbuilding” and said that at the end of sea trials, in about two weeks, the ship will return to the shipyard where final adjustments will be made for delivery to Transpetro.

About 120 technicians are on board the vessel, including EAS staff, crew and representatives of the shipowner, equipment manufacturers and of the classification society, ABS.

April 3, 2012