STX Norway Offshore to Build Icebreaker Tugs

STX Norway Offshore has signed contracts for the building of two icebreaker tugs to JSC Circle Marine Invest. The vessels will be delivered in 2011, and the total value of the two contracts amounts to approximately $71.4m. JSC Circle Marine Invest will through its subsidiary Caspian Offshore Construction in Kazakhstan operate the vessels in the Kashagan field of the northern Caspian Sea. The vessels are designed by the STX Europe subsidiary Aker Arctic, and have a length of 213.2 ft and a beam of 53.8 ft. The vessels will have the Ice class notification 1A* Super, according to the Finnish-Swedish Ice classification rules. Further, the vessels will be equipped and designed for other operations like firefighting, rescue operations and towing in shallow waters.