ONGC Hunts for New Offshore Ships

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has initiated negotiations with shipping companies to keep oil from its Bombay High oil fields flowing after the Directorate General of Shipping recalled its 27 offshore supply vessels for safety reasons. The top management of ONGC, led by its Chairman R S Sharma, flew to Mumbai to meet top Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) officials to procure offshore supply vessels (OSVs) urgently for deploying into the fields situated 160 km off the Mumbai coast in the high seas. SCI takes care of operations and management of 22 vessels of ONGC (16 OSVs and 6 specialised vessels). But the maintenance is outsourced to third parties. ONGC is unlikely to get more than 15 vessels from the open market at this point of time, industry sources said. In a communication to both ONGC and the DG Shipping, Sical said it took over 25 vessels for operation and maintenance on May 28 and it was not feasible to carry out interim SMC audits due to shortage of time. Source: Business Standard