Gcc News

Elcome International LLC signed an exclusive sales and service agreement with Miros AS, the Norway-headquartered wave, current and oil spill monitoring specialist.The partnership expands the distribution of Miros’ comprehensive range of sea state sensor and measurement solutions to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, namely UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.Miros’ portfolio of sea state measurement solutions provides accurate, real-time data for weather-sensitive operations at sea, as well as offering input to asset integrity systems and coastal monitoring.

Oslo-listed car carrier operator Gram Car Carriers has secured three-year time charter contracts for the distribution vessels "City of Oslo" and "Viking Odessa with a "leading European operator." Each vessel has the capacity to carry up to 2,000 cars.The dayrate is USD 27,750 per day for each vessel, and the contract adds approximately $61 million of future revenue to the contract backlog. The new contracts will start during the second quarter of 2023.Georg A. Whist, the CEO of GCC, commented: "We continue to sign long-term contracts reflecting favorable car shipping market fundamentals and are now pleased to see the strong demand and…

Offshore Support and Logistics Services Company (OFCO – Offshore International), the integrated maritime logistics service provider that is jointly owned by Allianz Marine & Logistics Services (AMLS) and SAFEEN, Abu Dhabi Ports’ marine services arm, announced it has acquired seven offshore support vessels, including four anchor handling tugs, a 65-meter landing craft, as well as a supply ship and multipurpose safety standby vessel.Officially launched in January 2021, OFCO provides onshore and offshore integrated logistics solutions, and subsea services.

Abu Dhabi Ports’ recently formed offshore logistics service provider, Offshore Support and Logistics Services Company (OFCO) has signed a collaboration deal with heavy lifting and transport services company Mammoet."The integrated maritime logistics service provider OFCO, will work closely with the heavy lift and transport specialist Mammoet to create a unique integrated package of on and offshore turnkey transport and installation solutions for projects in the GCC," Mammoet said.Initially targeting UAE-based projects with future ambitions to venture further into the GCC…

Abu Dhabi Ports’ maritime arm SAFEEN has signed an agreement with offshore vessel owner Allianz Marine & Logistics Services (AMLS), to launch a new international provider of integrated maritime logistic services."Operating under the title of Offshore Support and Logistics Services Company (OFCO – Offshore International), headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the new joint venture will be one of the largest, most capable, and cost-efficient providers of onshore and offshore integrated logistics solutions and subsea services in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Counci] Gulf Cooperation Council region and beyond," Abu Dhabi Ports said in a statement.According to the statement released Thursday…

Grandweld, a fully integrated shipyard providing shipbuilding, ship repair, and engineering solutions to serve the offshore and marine industry, has celebrated its 35th anniversary, which marked their continued excellence since its inception in 1984.The ceremony was attended by major industry key players, who have trust in the company’s outstanding deliveries and designs. Grandweld owns the most selling vessels, selling more than 60 Crew Boats of its GW42M design.In addition, the company employs over 800 professional engineers and technicians in shipbuilding and maintenance, and to date, it has notably added the 'Made in the UAE' mark on over 170 boats and marine vessels of all sizes and types.Jamal Abki…

Oman Shipping Company (OSC) has held a naming ceremony for the latest addition to the company’s Dry Bulk fleet, the Jabal Shams. The ceremony marks the official handover of the vessel from Zhoushan Changhong Shipyard to OSC.The shipping arm of the ASYAD Group said that the new ship will join OSC’s fleet of over 50 world-class vessels including LNG Carriers, LPG Carriers, VLCCs, Tankers, VLOCs, Dry Cargo, and Container ships.Today’s ceremony follows the naming of the Jabal Shams’ sister ship, the Jabal Almisht in Zhoushan in August. The two new ships, which are part of a series of four Ultramax Dry Cargo vessels due to be delivered to OSC in 2019…

Houston-based low sulfur specialists, GCC Bunkers (GCC) has reached a processing agreement with Texas International Terminals to produce IMO 2020 compliant 0.5% sulfur bunker fuel oil.The physical supplier of marine fuels said that the parties would also produce 0.1% ECA specification gasoil in the Houston, Texas area, starting in early 2020.“Our mission from the day we started GCC has been to provide solutions to our customers. Now, more than ever, the marine fuel supply business needs to provide absolute assurance of quality and reliability to its customers, and that is what we intend to do,” said GCC Bunkers’ Commercial Director,…

The  global energy services company has announced the acquisition of SGC Metering from Petrofac.SGC Metering is a specialist in the design and manufacture of flow computer metering systems for the oil and gas industry. It provides expertise right across the full life cycle of a metering project, including conceptual design through to installation, operations and maintenance.The firm was established in 1988 and its wide array of systems allows the measurement of all the important metrics associated with hydrocarbon production, namely volume, temperature, pressure and composition to enable a variety of key calculations.Proserv had been assessing SGC Metering for several years and it has used the springboard of its recent refinancing exercise…

Abu Dhabi Marine Services “Safeen”, the marine services subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, announces the purchase of two new state-of-the-art tugboats from Damen Shipyards Group aimed at supporting the AED 10 billion] expansion of Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi Ports’ flagship deep-water port.The purchase of the DAMEN ASD 2411 tugboats was announced at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show 2018. The contract was signed by Captain Adil Ahmed Banihammad, Acting Chief Marine Services Officer at Safeen, and Pascal Slingerland, Regional Sales Director for Damen Shipyards Group. Delivery of both vessels is due within three months.Captain Adil Ahmed Banihammad…

An agreement to jointly construct a new ‘Traders Market’ at DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone in Dubai on a total build up area of three million square metres has been signed between the global trade enabler and the Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, providing further impetus to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.DP World will be building the ‘Traders Market’ within the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area located in Jafza South next to the Dubai Expo 2020 site.The market will include clusters of traders from all over the world, offering a wide range of products at one site. They will be divided by sector, ranging from household goods…

Thailand-based subsea and offshore drilling services company Mermaid Maritime Public Company announced that its Middle East business unit has been awarded a subsea services contract in a GCC country with an initial contract value of USD 16 million.The contract award, with work scheduled to be performed in the Arabian Gulf during the course of August 2018 until March 2019, will involve the use of the DP2 Dive Support Vessel ‘Mermaid Endurer’ equipped with the Air and SAT Dive systems carrying out the overhauling and dry docking of the calm buoys and installation and disconnection of certain SPMs for an international Oil & Gas company…

Abu Dhabi Ports inked a new agreement with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade to explore new commercial opportunities between Chinese companies interested in investing in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and Khalifa Port Free Trade Zone (KPFTZ), which is considered the largest free trade zone in the region. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Abdulla Al Hameli, Executive Vice President - Corporate Support at Abu Dhabi Ports and Zhou Guangyao, Representative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade for the GCC region. The agreement was signed on the side-lines of the ‘KIZAD Business Week’…

Dubai-based Gulf Navigation Holding’s board has approved the trading of rights issued in February 2018 to the company’s existing shareholders, without publicly offering the remaining shares. The company's capital now stands at AED 919,209,250. (USD 250,254,718) The move is in line with the company’s interim strategy to expand its services and gradually increase the size of its fleet to keep up with upcoming contracts and expansion projects, considering its future expansion plans. Gulf Navigation Holding announced a maximum of AED 488 million (USD 133 mln) in capital increase through trading of the rights issue from 11 February to 1 March 2018 with a total value of AED 367,542,584.

Dubai-based Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC (GulfNav) is in discussions to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based Atlantic Navigation Holdings, a provider of offshore marine logistic services. Atlantic is an integrated offshore supply operation engaged in the provisioning of marine logistic services, ship repair, fabrication and other marine services. It operates out of the UAE serving primarily customers in the Middle East and India. Atlantic is an offshore marine logistic services group listed on the Singapore Stock with total assets of $177m. Gulf Navigation is in discussion with major oil companies in the Gulf Region to provide key project solution and offshore services.

Oil producer Saudi Aramco has selected Chelsea Technologies Group (CTG), designer and manufacturer of sensors for the maritime sector, to provide benchmark testing for compliance with ballast water standards. This follows Saudi Aramco’s announcement that all ships calling at its ports and terminals will be required to provide ballast water samples, in order to demonstrate compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention).

Thailand-based Mermaid Maritime, a subsea and offshore drilling services company, has  been awarded two subsea contracts with a combined estimated value of $4.6 million. The company press release said that the first contract award will involve a short ROV campaign for pipeline touchdown monitoring for an international EPCIC contractor offshore in the Middle East GCC. The second contract award, with work scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of 2017, will involve use of a diving vessel with work class ROV carrying-out a subsea services project offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia, for an international upstream oil and gas company.

GCC Bunkers said it seeks to establish itself as a leader in developing compliance solutions for the IMO global sulfur cap in 2020 and is operated by principals Mark VandeVoorde and John Mafrige. Longer term, GCC is actively evaluating several processing or manufacturing opportunities for post 2020 bunker fuels to be produced in Texas. The Company has secured working capital funding from a Texas-based private equity group and has entered into agreements for physical marine fuels storage at Texas International Terminals in Galveston, beginning July, 2017.

The 35-meter-long, 900-ton outer caisson at the Port of Durban’s Prince Edward Graving Dock has now been commissioned after being refurbished at a cost of R30 million. This was the third and final phase of Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) comprehensive repair program on the structure which was deemed unsafe and in need of repair. Work involved structural repairs to the first of two steel lock gates that separate the dock into two compartments and seal off water from the harbor to enable repairs and maintenance work to be carried out on ships serviced at the facility.

Qatargas and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) have signed a deal to supply half a million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Kuwait over the next four years, according to a report. The LNG will be sourced from Qatargas 2, a joint venture among Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and Total which started production in 2009, and will be delivered onboard Q-Flex LNG Vessels, chartered by Qatargas, to KPC’s Mina al-Ahmadi LNG receiving terminal in Kuwait. Qatargas has supplied Kuwait with most of its LNG requirements for the last five years, through direct sales to KPC and through third parties that have deals with Qatargas and with KPC. Elsewhere in the Middle East, Qatargas has supplied LNG to Dubai since 2008 and delivered a commissioning cargo to Jordan in May last year.

Kelvin Hughes is to supply its SharpEye S-band radar together with its new 12kW radar for 17 patrol boats currently being built at ARES Shipyard, Turkey for Qatar’s Coast and Borders Security Department. All the electronic equipment for the vessels - which include 24m, 34.5m and 48m versions of the ARES Shipyard Hercules series - will be supplied by Elektro Deniz of Turkey which has contracted Kelvin Hughes to provide the radar systems. The SharpEye S-band will be used for surface search and the 12kW radar for navigation.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the United States have agreed to carry out joint patrols to stop any Iranian arms shipments reaching Yemen, the bloc's secretary general, Abdullatif al-Zayani, said on Wednesday.   Zayani was speaking at a news conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter after a meeting between Carter and his counterparts from the GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.   Iran denies accusations by Gulf states that it is smuggling weapons to Yemen, where GCC countries are involved in a military campaign against the Tehran-allied Houthi movement.     (Reporting by Sami Aboudi and Yeganeh Torbati, Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by William Maclean)

Dubai's Gulf Navigation Holding has signed a deal with China's Wuchang Group to expand its company's fleet, it said on Wednesday. Dubai's only listed crude shipper said in a statement the agreement would help meet "increasing demand for transferring chemicals from the UAE and other GCC countries to global markets". The statement said Wuchang Group would begin building six chemicals tankers. Gulf Navigation Holding said in September it had reduced its debt from $36 million to $21 million and hopes to end a long-running dispute with creditors by consolidating all of its borrowing before the end of the year. The crude shipper expanded ambitiously at the end of the last decade just as oversupply hit the chemical tanker business and transportation rates plummeted.