OSM Inks Deal for VLCC Fleet
OSM Maritime has secured a contract for the full technical management of Hunter Group’s fleet of ECO design SMART VLCCs, currently under construction at DSME in Korea.
Hunter Group has eight identical 336m vessels, set to be delivered towards the end of 2019 and into 2020. The Hunter vessels will be managed from OSM’s base in Arendal, Norway, which offers an established strength in specialist tanker services.
“This is the beginning of a strong strategic alliance between two Norwegian headquartered companies with clear global ambitions,” comments Hunter Group CEO Erik A. S. Frydendal. “We have our sights set on making a real impact within the segment when the new vessels arrive, and we need a partner with the technical management expertise to really fulfil the potential we see ahead of us.
“After a thorough process it became clear that OSM was to be that preferred, long-term partner. The team has strong global capabilities, a full service, personal approach and the latest technology – to fully optimize operations across the fleet – at their disposal.
Hunter Group’s new tanker fleet are advanced vessels with 340,000m3 cargo tank capacity, cruising speeds of 14.8 knots and, to ensure complete compliance with IMO 2020 regulations, open loop scrubber systems from Wärtsila. Each vessel will be manned by a crew of 30 experienced seafarers.