DNV profits from increase in conversion work at Drydocks World Dubai (DWD)
Drydocks World Dubai has been very busy recently in the ship conversion sector. Notable jobs recently include the tanker-to-Floating Production Storage Offloading vessel (FPSOs) conversions which has given more work to DNV.
“Today, DWD has so many FPSOs on order, we are finding it difficult to accept more,” says Eivind Grostad, DNV senior vice president and regional manager for DNV Maritime.
The yard is currently involved in four conversions - three of which are tanker to FPSOs (Floating Production Storage Offloading) units. The first is the 274,300 dwt tanker Gimboa from Italy's Saipem, the second being the 273,600 dwt tanker Frade FPSO, managed by SBM Offshore Contractors and the third being the 145,200 dwt tanker Knock Allan for Fred Olsen Production. The yard is also completing the conversion to an FSO (Floating Storage Offshore) of the 68,139 dwt tanker Deep Producer from FPS Ocean.
“In addition to our FPSO work, we also have worked on the world’s biggest semi-submersible drilling rigs. The 16,500-ton hull for the first of the H-6 semi-submersible offshore rigs, Rig-Aker-Alpha, was delivered to Aker Kvaerner in August last year. The second was delivered last month,” says Grostad.
The yard is also building a series of new vessels to DNV class. These include the four chemical carriers being built for South Korean owners, due for delivery in spring 2009. In addition, it is constructing two of the most advanced seismic vessels ever built for oil exploration for Dubai owners.
“So advanced are these vessels that they can detect hydrocarbons very quickly,” says Grostad and adds, “their greatest advantage is that they can explore in increasingly deeper water, and also eliminate the old ‘hit-and-miss’ style of exploration.”
As reported in Lloyds List, another interesting segment coming up in Dubai is the explosion of sophisticated, high-speed passenger craft to transport people to islands where frenetic construction activity is taking place.
Most of them will be built in the United Arab Emirates, and the shipyards to build them are coming up in Sharjah and Ajman – hence more work for DNV.
“It can be seen that Dubai on the maritime side is going from strength to strength,” says Grostad and concludes, “We should be able to sustain our significant growth for a few more years at least.”