Focus on crude oil tankers. Qatar has about 1/5 of the world's natural gas resources and the exports of gas in the form of LNG will go from about 10 million m3 to 40 million m3 by 2010.
Text and photos: Magne A. Røe, except where otherwise stated.Date: 2008-03-14
The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA) has a strategic plan to double its fleet by 2010 through a newbuilding programme and the purchase of tonnage that is less than five years old. The tanker and LPG vessel operations are headed by Saleh A. Al-Shamekh, President of Oil and Gas. The oil fleet is operated from NSCSA’s Dubai office. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 28 per cent of this company, while the remainder is listed on the Saudi stock exchange.
Natural gas has become an increasingly attractive fuel source over the past decade and its usage is expected to grow in the coming years.
The BW Group is not an average shipping company – it strives for excellence in its operations, fleet, personnel, environment and impact. Its commitment to shipping and the environment is communicated clearly and there is nothing average about its operational style.
Shipping is exposed to a new reality… The market is calling for a more proactive and transparent approach to handling environmental issues. Shipping needs to act now! “Shipping has no more than two to three years to demonstrate emission-reduction results. To be able to use this restricted timeframe effectively, the industry has to start searching for voluntary improvements now.”
Last year, some ten million tonnes of LNG were exported from Qatar, and by 2010 Qatar, expects to be the world’s leading supplier by exporting 77 million tonnes of LNG per year from the North Field, off the coast of northern Qatar. This non-associated gas field contains about 15 per cent of the world’s proven gas reserves and about 99 per cent of Qatar’s reserves. Sales of LNG and associated hydrocarbon products are expected to contribute about USD 500 billion to the Qatari economy over the next 25 years. The export goal of 77 million tonnes by 2010 corresponds to very many fully loaded LNG carriers, such as the Al Gattara. Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat) is entrusted to do this, and this owner/operator company will have a fleet of 54 ultra modern LNG vessels at its disposal by 2010.
“Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) has successfully completed a major Fleet New Building Project involving the building of ten new vessels to replace single hull tankers and the modernisation of the existing ageing fleet in line with present shipping trends. A total of six vessels were constructed to DNV class – two VLCCs and two VLGCs at Hyundai Heavy Industries and two Panamax tankers at Daewoo,” says Tariq Usmani, the manager of Fleet New Building Projects at KOTC. He has been visiting the DNV headquarters with his colleague Mr Bader Al Otaibi, the general superintendent of the Fleet New Building Projects Group.
Nordin Mat Yusoff is the charismatic and focused Vice President of Fleet Management for MISC, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “We want to be a global champion and remain a global champion.” Nordin has the largest LNG fleet in the world to manage – today there are 26 LNG vessels in the fleet and by the end of 2009 there will be three additional vessels joining the fleet.
Drydocks World in Dubai has traditionally been associated with ship repairs. This is still a major activity for the yard and, on an annual basis, repairs amount to about 50 per cent of its workload, while conversions account for 30 per cent and newbuildings for 20 per cent. Repairs are still its core business and no less than half of the world’s VLCC fleet will drydock in Dubai in any given year. Previously known as Dubai Drydocks, the new Drydocks World is currently implementing a globalisation programme involving drydocks in Singapore and Indonesia and has plans to expand into China, the Mediterranean area and India. Drydocks World repairs more than 50 per cent of the annual VLCC dockings.
Updated figures for 2007 show that losses from navigational accidents within the shipping industry are continuing to increase. This trend is also confirmed by the insurance industry. Premiums may rise by as much as 30 per cent in 2008 and the tanker segments are no exceptions to this.
Harun Ar Rashid of DNV Petroleum Services warns against relaxing precautions relating to bunker fuel quality. If samples taken from a bunker delivery are tested and found to meet the required quality specification, it does not mean the crew can relax other precautionary measures. Improper fuel sampling, poor maintenance of machinery, crew negligence and lack of technical knowledge can still result in engine problems.
An increasing number of Owners are seeing the benefits of having DNV class and access to all of DNV’s services for their ships, even when the vessels building was surveyed by another class society. Approximately one quarter of the more than 5,000 DNV-classed ships have been entered into DNV class after construction by Owners that have seen the advantages of this.
