A 10-year contract worth just under NOK 300 million has been awarded by Statoil to Norwegian towing specialist Buksér og Berging. The deal covers tug and mooring services at Melkøya, near Hammerfest in northern Norway.
The escort tug for Melkøya will be a further development of the boats which currently operate in the sailing channels for the Mongstad and Sture crude oil terminals near Bergen.
Embracing the hire of three tugs and two mooring boats, this deal also includes options for two five-year extensions.
All the tugs are due to be built by the Moen Slip yard at Kolvereid in mid-Norway, becoming operational at Melkøya from the end of 2005.
The five vessels will all fly the Norwegian flag and be crewed by Norwegian nationals. This contract represents 18-20 new jobs.
“The tugs are being acquired to ensure safe and reliable export of liquefied natural gas and other products from Melkøya,” explains Trygve G Egge, project manager for Snøhvit LNG shipping in Statoil.
“Their principal duties will include escorting ships entering and leaving the Melkøya terminal, as well as assisting them to berth and depart.”
The tug fleet will comprise one combined escort and harbour tug with a bollard pull of 90 tonnes, and two harbour tugs with bollard pulls of 70 tonnes apiece.
These vessels will also be able to provide services for oil spill clean-up and fire-fighting.
The two mooring boats will each be about 12 metres long and will be used to carry hawsers from a vessel to land during berthing.
Statoil has placed the tug job on behalf of the partners in the Snøhvit licence.