Keppel Corporation Ltd News

Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras received only one proposal, from Dutch SBM Offshore, in a bid to contract construction of the Mero 4 oil platform [FPSO] in the Santos Basin pre-salt, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.Petrobras' business plan foresees Mero 4 entering operation in 2025 with a capacity to produce 180,000 barrels of oil a day.Petrobras and SBM declined to comment.One of the sources commented that it is the "first time in a long time that Petrobras has received only one proposal" in a bid…

Police say 17 arrested in connection with oil theft; 11 charged; Shell expects "short delay" in operations due to case. Eleven men were charged in a Singapore court on Tuesday in connection with a large-scale oil theft at Shell's biggest refinery, while police said they were investigating six other men arrested in a weekend raid. Police in the island-state said on Tuesday they had detained 17 men, whose ages ranged from 30 to 63, and seized millions of dollars in cash and a small tanker during their investigations into theft at the Pulau Bukom industrial site, which sits just south of Singapore's main island. Oil refining and shipping have contributed significantly to Singapore's rising wealth during the past decades.

Investment management firm EIG Management Co added Brazil's engineering conglomerate Odebrecht SA and a few other shipyards in its $221 million fraud suit against Petroleo Brasileiro SA. EIG, in a filing on Wednesday, alleged that Odebrecht SA and other shipyards along with Petrobras misled the firm to invest over $221 million to purchase equity in now-bankrupt Sete Brasil Participacoes SA. The other shipyards mentioned in the filing by EIG and eight of its managed funds include Keppel Corporation Ltd, Sembcorp Marine Ltd and Jurong Shipyard Pte Ltd. "Through a series of misrepresentations and omissions directed at EIG, Petrobras fraudulently…

Drilling rig builder Sembcorp Marine Ltd said on Monday its second-quarter net profit rose 5.4 percent from a year earlier, helped by stronger performance from its rig building and fixed platform businesses. The Singaporean company reported a net profit for the quarter ended on June 30 of S$131.6 million ($105.57 million), which brings the first-half net profit to S$254 million. The mean full-year net profit forecast stood at S$597 million, based on estimates from 24 analysts, Thomson Reuters data showed.

(Reuters) Singapore's Sembcorp Marine Ltd, one of the largest offshore drilling rig producers in the world, said its net profit in the fourth quarter rose 9.2 percent as higher operating profit offset lower contributions from associates and joint ventures. Sembcorp Marine, which is the world's second-largest jackup rig producer after crosstown rival Keppel Corporation Ltd , posted a fourth-quarter net profit of S$182.4 million ($143.89 million). Its full-year net profit rose 3.2 percent to S$555.7 million, above a mean forecast of 23 analysts of S$528.50 million. The company's order book fell to S$12.3 billion from the all-time high of S$13.5 billion a quarter earlier.

Keppel said it will acquire a substantial stake in OWEC Tower, an industry leading designer of jacket foundation. KV Ventus B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation Ltd. (Keppel) has today entered into a share purchase and subscription agreement and shareholders' agreement to acquire a 49.9% stake in offshore wind turbine foundation designer OWEC Tower (AS) for about NOK 61 million. OWEC Tower, headquartered in Norway, is a leader in the design and engineering of offshore wind turbine foundations. The company has developed a proprietary jacket foundation design known as OWEC Quattropod, which is currently the only proven jacket design in the market.

It will acquire a substantial stake in OWEC Tower, an industry leading designer of jacket foundation. KV Ventus B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation Ltd. (Keppel) has today entered into a share purchase and subscription agreement and shareholders' agreement to acquire a 49.9% stake in offshore wind turbine foundation designer OWEC Tower (AS) for about NOK 61 million. OWEC Tower, headquartered in Norway, is a leader in the design and engineering of offshore wind turbine foundations. The company has developed a proprietary jacket foundation design known as OWEC Quattropod, which is currently the only proven jacket design in the market.

AMFELS Inc, a member of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has won a $73 million firm-fixed-price contract for the modification of a platform from The Boeing Company. The SBX Platform is a self-propelled semi-submersible modified oil-drilling platform developed for the US Government’s Sea-Based Test X-Band Radar (SBX) in support of its ground-based midcourse missile defense system. The work scope involves outfitting of the bare hull of the platform, construction and assembling of the living quarters, the electrical, networking and mechanical work and the commissioning of the vessel. The vessel is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2005.

Keppel FELS Ltd (Keppel FELS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation Ltd, has secured a contract to build a KFELS B Class jackup valued at US$110 million for Gulf Drilling International Limited (GDI), Qatar’s first national drilling company. The jackup, GULF-4, well suited in the Arabian Gulf and Indian waters, will be built to Keppel FELS’ proprietary design. It will be capable of operating in 300 feet water depth, drilling down to 30,000 feet and accommodating 110 men.

Keppel Shipyard, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation Ltd, has secured a Floating Production Storage & Offloading (FPSO) hull conversion contract worth S$84 million from Marathon Petroleum Company (Norway) on MST Odin. The 87,000 dwt multi-purpose shuttle tanker arrived at Keppel Shipyard for the fast track hull conversion on 19 March. Odin will undergo hull upgrading and modification works which involve procurement, construction and installation of the FPSO hull equipment, including shipboard marine systems, cargo, ballast, inert gas, crude oil washing, fire fighting and electrical and instrumentation. The contract also entails the fabrication and installation of topside module support structures…

Keppel Singmarine Pte Ltd, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has clinched three newbuilding contracts worth a total of S$120 million. The first contract involves the construction of four Anchor Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS) vessels at its Keppel Nantong Shipyard, northwest of Shanghai. The deliveries of these vessels are expected between third quarter 2007 and mid 2008. The owner is Hadi Offshore Pte Ltd., a newly established Singapore subsidiary of Hadi H. Al Hammam Est., Saudi Arabia (HADI). The companies have awarded Keppel Singmarine a total of 14 orders since 2001. Keppel Singmarine’s latest delivery for HADI was in December 2005.

Keppel Corporation Ltd (KCL) is strengthening its Board further with the appointment of corporate lawyer Andrew Ang. "We are certain that we shall benefit immensely from his distinguished career and vast experience in the corporate world. The appointment of Ang underlines the commitment of the KCL Board to high standards of corporate governance," said KCL Executive Chairman, Lim Chee Onn. Ang is a Senior Partner and the Head of Banking and Corporate Department at Lee & Lee. As a lawyer in practice for 28 years, Ang is experienced in the areas of corporate finance, banking, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation and taxation amongst others.

Keppel Corporation Ltd.'s Group Finance Director, Teo Soon Hoe has been appointed Chairman of Keppel Philippines Holdings, Inc (KPH), following the retirement of Loh Wing Siew. Charles Foo, who currently serves as the managing director of Keppel Hitachi Zosen, will assume Loh's post as Chairman of Keppel Philippines Marine, Inc (KPMI) and Subic Shipyard and Engineering Inc (SSEI). Kevin Wong, who is the executive director and managing director of Keppel Land Limited (Keppel Land) in Singapore, will take over as chairman of Keppel Philippines Properties Inc (KPPI).