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Izar Ferrol Repairs Eight Vessels At Once

Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.

July 6, 2001

The shiprepair yard of IZAR Ferrol last week surpassed previous occupancy records, as it simultaneously worked on eight vessels. The yard facilities were fully busy and there were no room to accommodate any further vessel at the yard's two drydocks (of 330 m long by 50 m wide and 205 m long by 25 m wide) and 1,700 m long quays. One of the vessels, a tanker owned by the Spanish company CLH, has become the first example of the cooperation capacity between the repair yards of Ferrol and Fene (the former Astano), now part of IZAR since the company took over the facilities of Bazan and AESA. The repairing order for the Spanish crude oil carrier was awarded to Ferrol but the vessel had to be docked at Fene due to the high occupancy of Ferrol facilities and was repaired there by Ferrol workers helped by their Fene's mates. The Guardian, a 244 m long and 95,920 dwt tanker owned by Conoco Shipping, was also visiting Ferrol for a full review of her refrigeration pipe system and general hull repair works. But the Carenas Ferrol yard received this same week two further tankers: the Golar Freeze (288 m long and 66,200 dwt) of British owner Osprey Maritime, for steel works in her tanks, and the Genmar Ajaz (243 m long and 96,183 dwt), which is owned by U.S. company Universe Tankships and is currently under progress at the yard's dock No. 3. The yard is also working in the Larbi Ben M'Hidi, a 261 m long and 70,328-dwt LNG carrier owned by the Algerian company Hyproc. This is a very significant project as the tanker's five cargo tank seats are being strengthened, as well as the propulsion boilers' pipes renewed. A full review of every gas cargo tanks is also being carried in a smaller LNG carrier (200 m long) owned by this same company, the Al Hassi R'Mel. These are repeat orders from the same customer, which in 2000 had the 66,746 dwt LNG carrier Bachir Chinani at the shipyard for nearly four months, for strengthening of the five cargo tank seats, blasting and coating in ballast tanks and hull, and engine room equipment maintenance. A special order has been the pre-delivery review and works on the Navion Odin, a 233-m long and 96,900-dwt FPSO. The yard is also carrying out maintenance work to the refrigerated compartments of the Semeli, a fishing vessel from the Moroccan owner Lucky Martin Entreprises. So far, the array of orders is keeping both the repair facilities of Ferrol and Fene fully busy, with a workload exceeding by 40% the volume of work in the same first six months of the past year. The two yards are even fully booked until mid-September, what is rather unusual in the repair industry, where the orderbook rarely extends further over 20 or 30 days. Prospects are now that both yards reach this year joint sales of nearly $66 million, 29% over 2000 combined earnings. According to Ferrol and Fene managers, the most remarkable facts this year are being the ability to attract quality owners and to afford increasingly complex works such as the repair and maintenance of LNG cargo tanks, made up of a special material, the Invar. Specializing in sophisticated works is providing a significant increase in profits and is helping to consolidate the first economic and financial year of the new company IZAR resulting from the merger of the former shipbuilders Astilleros Españoles and Bazan.

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