Strategic Marines to open Mexican Yard
Strategic Marine reported that it will open its first shipyard in the Americas in early 2008 following a joint venture bid with Servicios Navales E Industriales S.A. DE C.V. (SENI) to build two 52m aluminum crew boats for Arrendadora Ocean Mexicana S.A. de CV (Blue Marine Offshore) in Mexico. Strategic Marine already operates yards at its Henderson headquarters in Western Australia, Tuas in Singapore and Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone, Ba-Ria Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. The $11.9m contract will see the two vessels operated by Blue Marine Offshore for its Pemex contract in the Gulf of Mexico. Work on the contract is scheduled to commence this year, before which Strategic will work with SENI to upgrade its existing maintenance facility at Mazatlan on the Mexican west coast.
Farstad Enters Long-Term Charter with Arrendadora
The Mexican offshore service company Arrendadora Ocean Mexicana SA is nominated as winner of a maintenance contract for the oil company Pemex in Mexico. This contract is based on the utilisation of two of Farstad's vessels, and Farstad Shipping ASA will as a consequence enter into a long-term charter with Arrendadora Ocean Mexicana SA for Far Scotia and Far Swift, each for 3.3 years. Total contract value for Fartad Shipping ASA is approx. NOK 225 million, and both vessels will commence operations in August/September. Far Scotia and Far Swift are both platform supply vessels (PSV) of the UT 755 design. Far Scotia will finish a two year contract for ASCO in July, while the newbuild Far Swift will be delivered from the yard (Brevik Construction AS) early in the same month.
