Ship builder Strategic Marine Pty Ltd has signed a contract with a West Australian marine operations company, Bhagwan Marine, to build a 159 ft landing craft for use in the Australian offshore oil and gas industry. The vessel will be used in Western Australian’s north-west hydrocarbon province and has been designed by International Maritime Consultants, to accommodate for low incline beach landings. The craft’s design features a low angle bow to enable heavy equipment to be driven over the ramp door. With a 42 ft beam, the vessel can accommodate up to ten 20-ft containers with a maximum payload of 400 tonnes. An added advantage is its economical fuel consumption of about 150 litres per hour at 10 knots cruising speed.