NYK and Port of Duqm Collaborate on Development
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and the Port of Duqm Company, which oversees port management and terminal operations in Oman, signed a memorandum of understanding at Duqm Economic Forum 2025 to collaborate in the development and connectivity of the port of Duqm.NYK has positioned the Middle East as one of its key strategic regions. On April 1, 2022, NYK established its Middle East region head in Dubai to deepen its regional strategy and enable more agile business development across the area.Oman…
Investcorp to Invest $550M in Oman’s Port of Duqm Expansion
Alternative investment firm Investcorp has signed a cooperation agreement to invest in a $550 million infrastructure project in Port of Duqm in Oman.Investcorp Aberdeen Infrastructure Partners (AIIP) – a joint venture with Aberdeen plc, will be the shareholder in the project, alongside the Port of Duqm Company, the DEME Group and Port of Antwerp Bruges (jointly formed a consortium named CAP INFRA).This investment is closely aligned with AIIP’s mandate to invest in long-term concessions across the GCC countries and the broader MENA region…
Nine Crew from Capsized Oil Tanker off Oman Rescued, One Dead
At least nine of the 16-member crew of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off Oman on Monday have been rescued while one was found dead, officials said on Wednesday, two days after the incident was first reported.The Prestige Falcon, a 117-meter oil product tanker, was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden with a crew of 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans when it capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm. The cause was not immediately known."Search and rescue operations have successfully found 10 crew members of the oil tanker Prestige Falcon, 9 found alive.
Crew of Capsized Oil Tanker Off Oman Still Missing
The 16-strong crew of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off Oman are still missing, the country's maritime security center said on Tuesday, a day after the sinking was reported.The crew of "Prestige Falcon" comprised 13 Indian nationals and three Sri Lankans, the Omani center said in a post on the social media platform X.Separately, the center told Reuters that the vessel remains "submerged, inverted". It did not confirm whether the vessel had stabilised or whether oil…
Update: Israel Blames Iran for Tanker Attack that Killed Two
A Briton and a Romanian were killed when an Israeli-managed petroleum product tanker came under attack on Thursday off the coast of Oman, the company said on Friday, in an incident that Israel's foreign minister blamed on Iran and said deserved a harsh response.There were varying explanations for what happened to the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned ship, with Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime describing the incident as "suspected piracy" and a source at the Oman…
Update: Tanker Attacked Off Oman. Two Crew Members Killed
Two crew members, a Briton and a Romanian, were killed when a petroleum products tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime came under attack on Thursday off Oman's coast, the company said on Friday.London-based Zodiac said on its website that the attack in the Arabian Sea on the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged Japanese-owned ship, was still being investigated.Earlier on Friday it had described the incident as suspected piracy but the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which provides maritime security information, says it was not piracy."Details of the incident are still being established and an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
Port of Duqm, Shell Oman to Develop Fuel Bunkering Facilities
Shell Oman Marketing Company SAOG signed an agreement with Port of Duqm Company SAOC (PDC) to develop fuel bunkering facilities and services.The downstream oil marketing company in the Sultanate said in a press release that agreement was signed by Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Al Balushi, Chief Executive Officer of SOM, and Reggy Vermeulen, CEO of PDC.The agreement establishes bunkering terminal to provide different grades of quality fuels and lubricants as well as other ancillary facilities to marine liners calling at Port of Duqm, a 50:50 joint venture between the Oman Government and Port of Antwerp Consortium.Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Al Balushi…
Port of Duqm Signs Land Lease Agreement with Petrojet
Port of Duqm Company SAOC, a 50:50 joint venture between the Omani Government and the Consortium Antwerp Port (CAP) under its subsidiary called Duqm Industrial Land Company (DILC), has signed a 25 years usufruct land lease agreement for a 50,000 sqm. plot with The Petroleum Projects & Technical Consultations CO. (PETROJET ).Port of Duqm Company (PDC) is fast becoming an important reality of the Middle East region’s rapidly transforming maritime landscape. PDC also holds under its concession 5000 ha of land space at its strategic location and a state-of-the-art port facility.Out of which 2000 ha land space of industrial and petrochemical area offers investors to operate medium to heavy industrial activities.Petrojet…
Boskalis Takes New Mega Cutter Helios into Service
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. said its new mega cutter Helios was named and christened during a festive ceremony in the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The self-propelled Helios is 152 meters long and has a breadth of 28 meters and is able to dredge at depths of 6 to 35 meters. The vessel was developed to dredge in extremely hard ground. The cutter ladder weighs 2,060 tons, making it the heaviest in the world. The vessel can accommodate a crew of 45 and so the Helios can operate around the world in the most remote locations. The Helios will be deployed for dredging activities related to the development of the port of Duqm in Oman. A sister vessel of the Helios is expected to be taken into service in the course of 2020.
Veotec Supplies Water Removal Vanes to Vigor
Air intake systems designer and manufacturer Veotec said it has supplied air inlet vanes (vertical louvers) and CP2 filters to U.S. shipbuilder Vigor for two pilot boats delivered to the Port of Duqm Company SAOC, Sultanate of Oman. Veotec's scope of supply for each pilot vessel included two SE2 two stage (louver and coalescer) units for engine room combustion and ventilation air supply, and one SE2 two stage (louver and coalescer) unit for the A/C make up air inlet. These units were custom built in the U.S. using marine grade aluminum.
Boskalis Bags Duqm Port Development Order
Royal Boskalis Westminster NV has received a Letter of Intent to Award a contract for the development of the port of Duqm in Oman. The contract with a value of approximately EUR 480 million will be awarded by Sezad (Special Economic Zone Authority Duqm). The final award is subject to Sezad satisfying certain conditions. The contract includes the engineering, design, procurement and construction of a bulk liquid berth terminal. The Port of Duqm is a an existing strategic dry dock and industrial free trade zone located in the Al Wusta Region between Muscat and Salalah and has been designated as a Special Economic Zone. Various dredging & civil activities will be executed under the responsibility of Boskalis…
Vigor Delivers Two Pilot boats to M.E.
Vigor expanded its growing portfolio of international sales with the delivery of two, 19m all-weather pilot boats to The Port of Duqm Company (PDC), SAOC, Sultanate of Oman. The Port has been undergoing a major multiphase expansion and the new pilot boats will play a key role in ensuring the safety of vessels calling on the port. “This is an important delivery for us,” said Keith Whittemore, Vigor Executive Vice President of Business Development. “PDC is a world class, state-of-the-art Port with a major commitment to quality and safety. Designed by Camarc Design, Ltd., UK, and built at Vigor’s Ballard facility (formerly Kvichak Marine), the vessels not only function as pilot boats but also as search and rescue and oil spill recovery vessels.
Shipbuilding: P3 Projects (with a Twist)
Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…
Interview: Frank Foti - President & CEO, Vigor Industrial
For nearly two decades, Frank Foti has led Vigor’s transformation from a single, struggling shipyard to a thriving, increasingly diversified industrial company with 2,500 employees, 12 locations and approximately $700 million in annual revenue. According to Vigor, Foti often describes his motivation in three words: “Industrial Jobs Matter.” Committed to improving long-term, family-wage job opportunities workers and their families and communities, Foti and his management team have, over time, has worked to strategically expand and diversify the company, investing in training facilities and infrastructure along the way. Also according to Vigor…
Maritime Security Demand Keeps US Builders Busy
Export hulls – through the FMS Program, as well as Direct Sales – are a key piece of the business model. Even as the crash in energy prices feeds the oversupply of offshore support vessels – a key staple of U.S. boatbuilding diets – and the dwindling backlogs of some so-called ‘second tier’ yards, a number of U.S. boat builders are still seeing robust demand for security vessels. Separately, tightening federal, state, municipal and overseas budgets are being trumped by the increased need for security craft that can perform more than one function.
Antwerp Joins “One Belt, One Road” Taskforce
“One Belt, One Road” is a Chinese development strategy launched at the end of 2013 that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia. The strategy has two main components, namely the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the ocean-going “Maritime Silk Road.” Antwerp has a potentially very important role to play in both these routes as a major trading hub, and so the Port Authority is setting up a special taskforce for this purpose. The importance of this project for Europe can hardly be underestimated, and so during the recent state visit to China by king Philippe of Belgium the country applied to join the new Asian Infrastructure Development Bank, the investment bank behind the strategy.
Kvichak Marine Awarded Duqm Pilot Boat Contract
Kvichak Marine Industries has been awarded a contract for the construction of two 19m all-weather pilot boats for the Port of Duqm Company SAOC, Sultanate of Oman, the company announced today. Designed by Camarc Design, Ltd., UK, the vessels will also function as search and rescue and oil spill recovery vessels. The all-aluminum vessels will be powered by twin Cummins QSK-19 marine diesel engines rated for 800 hp at 2100 rpm each and twin ZF 2000A transmissions driving NiBrAl 5-bladed fixed propellers, providing an operating speed of ~20 knots.