The Sanko Steamship Co Ltd News

Topaz signs over $65 million of new charters and announces the acquisition of two AHTS. Renaissance subsidiary, Topaz Energy and Marine (“Topaz”), a UAE-based oil field services company, has been awarded two new long term charters, totalling over $65 million, in the GCC and the Caspian Sea, two of the company’s major operating areas. It also confirms the acquisition of Topaz Rayyan and Caspian Reliance, two Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel (AHTS). Topaz Rayyan, will be deployed in Qatar on a seven-year, $50 million charter, for an international oil company (“IOC”). The vessel was built in 2006 and was previously owned by Sanko Steamship Co Ltd in Japan. The second AHTS, Caspian Reliance, is to be deployed in the Caspian Sea with a firm contract value of $13.9 million.

Topaz signs over $65 million of new charters and announces the acquisition of two AHTS. Renaissance subsidiary, Topaz Energy and Marine (“Topaz”), a UAE-based oil field services company, has been awarded two new long term charters, totalling over $65 million, in the GCC and the Caspian Sea, two of the company’s major operating areas. It also confirms the acquisition of Topaz Rayyan and Caspian Reliance, two Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel (AHTS). Topaz Rayyan, will be deployed in Qatar on a seven-year, $50 million charter, for an international oil company (“IOC”). The vessel was built in 2006 and was previously owned by Sanko Steamship Co Ltd in Japan. The second AHTS, Caspian Reliance, is to be deployed in the Caspian Sea with a firm contract value of $13.9 million.

The Sanko Steamship Co Ltd and Hellespont Group have entered into a joint venture for manning and/or shipmanagement services to Sanko’s and Hellespont’s offshore fleets through their Singapore subsidiaries. The Singapore-based joint venture company, Sanko-Hellespont Offshore Management Pte Ltd, owned by Sanko Ship Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Hellespont Singapore Pte Ltd on an equal partnership basis, started operations on 7 March, 2011, and is led by Captain Andrew Lidgard of Hellespont, as CEO and Mr Yasushi Hashimoto of Sanko, as Chairman.

Tidewater Inc. announced that it has taken delivery of the M/V Miss Jane Tide. The Miss Jane Tide is Tidewater's first VS 480 platform supply vessel built by the company's own Quality Shipyards, L.L.C. in Houma, La. The ship, designed by the Norwegian firm Vik-Sandvik, is the first of four identical vessels to be built by Quality. The Miss Jane Tide is a 260-ft. PSV and is the first domestically constructed vessel to be delivered under Tidewater's new construction program announced in January 2000. In addition, Tidewater has also taken operational delivery of the M/V Ace Nature, one of eight vessels acquired from The Sanko Steamship Co., Ltd. in late 2000. At 276 feet, the Ace Nature, a UT 745 PSV, is one of the largest ships among Tidewater's fleet.

Tidewater Inc. announced that it has taken delivery of the M/V Miss Jane Tide. The Miss Jane Tide is Tidewater's first VS 480 platform supply vessel built by the company's own Quality Shipyards, L.L.C. in Houma, La. The ship, designed by the Norwegian firm Vik-Sandvik, is the first of four identical vessels to be built by Quality. The Miss Jane Tide is a 260-ft. PSV and is the first domestically constructed vessel to be delivered under Tidewater's new construction program announced in January 2000. In addition, Tidewater has also taken operational delivery of the M/V Ace Nature, one of eight vessels acquired from The Sanko Steamship Co., Ltd. in late 2000. At 276 feet, the Ace Nature, a UT 745 PSV, is one of the largest ships among Tidewater's fleet.

It is little secret that as offshore oil production moves further from shore, the boats that service these offshore units must be bigger, stronger and more capable than their ancestors. Here's a peak at emerging technologies and the boats that house them. The technology to cost efficiently discover and recover oil and gas in increasingly deeper part of the Gulf of Mexico has quickly led to the development of bigger, stronger and more ruggedly equipped Offshore Service Vessels, not only on drawings boards but operating on the waterways. The discovery of oil and gas fields such as Auger, Marlim and Mars, have among others, highlighted the vast potential for drilling success and the inadequacy of the current fleet of OSVs to perform the job as cost effectively as possible.

Tidewater Inc. has signed contracts with two Far East shipyards for the construction of eight vessels as part of Tidewater's new build program announced in January 2000. It has also announced that its subsidiary, Quality Shipyard L.L.C., will build a total of four vessels. The $305 million in new build commitments falls on the heels of Tidewater's recent purchase of eight similar vessels from The Sanko Steamship Co., Ltd. The eight vessels to be built outside the United States will be comprised of five large 280-ft. anchor handling towing supply vessels with greater than 20,000 hp and three 260-ft. platform supply vessels. The four vessels being built at Quality Shipyard will be similar platform supply vessels and will be built to full Jones Act compliance.

Tidewater Inc. signed contracts to build a total of 12 new vessels for $305 million, electing to build eight vessels at two Far East shipyards and four at its subsidiary, Quality Shipyard L.L.C. The $305 million in new build commitments - which fulfills its January 2000-announced plan to spend $300 million upgrading its fleet - falls on the heels of Tidewater's recent purchase of eight similar vessels from The Sanko Steamship Co., Ltd. The eight vessels to be built outside the U.S. will be comprised of five large 280-ft. anchor handling towing supply vessels with greater than 20,000 hp and three 260-ft. platform supply vessels. The four vessels being built at Quality Shipyard will be similar platform supply vessels and will be built to full Jones Act compliance.

Hellespont has officially named the last two of six panamax tankers constructed for the company at the New Century Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Jingjiang, China. The product carrier Hellespont Providence was named by Mrs. Daphne Papachristidis-Bove, wife of Alexander Papachristidis-Bove, President of Seatramp Tankers Inc. The Hellespont Protector, meanwhile, was named by Mrs. Andrea Meyer, wife of Kai-Kristian Meyer, Managing Director of HCI Capital, organizers of the financing of the vessels. Both vessels will begin long-term charters with The Sanko Steamship Co. Ltd. of Japan on delivery later this year. Hellespont operates four further panamax product carriers, one aframax tanker and four suezmax tankers. There will be a fifth suezmax tanker under operation shortly.

The second in the series of six panamax product carriers under construction for Hellespont Hammonia was named at New Century Shipbuilding Co Ltd (NCS) in Jingjiang, China. Hellespont Progress follows the first in the series, Hellespont Pride, named in July. The sponsor of the Hellespont Progress was M Matsui, wife of the President and CEO of The Sanko Steamship Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan, charterers of the vessel. The ceremony was attended by representatives of HCI Capital AG and their placement partners EFC AG, the lending bank Hypovereinsbank, Hamburg shipowner Peter Doehle Schiffahrts-KG, and the classification society, ABS. The 73,400 dwt Hellespont Progress is 750 ft. (228.6 m) and is 38,000 grt on a scantling draft of 46.9 ft.

Hellespont Hammonia completed the naming of the Hellespont Pride, one of six tankers under construction for the company at New Century Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Jingjiang, China. The panamax product carrier, the first in the series originally ordered by Seatramp Tankers Inc. in 2004, was named by Nathalie Baroness von Oldershausen, wife of the managing director of the Hamburg-based KG house, Hanseatische Capital Invest (HCI), which is financing this series of vessels for the owners. The mortgagee is HSH Nordbank. Charterers of the Hellespont Pride are The Sanko Steamship Co Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan. The vessel will be managed by Hellespont Hammonia GmbH & Co KG. The 38,000 grt Hellespont Pride has an LOA of 228.60 m and a deadweight of 73,400 tonnes at a scantling draft of 14.3 m.