Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 1997)

I

FAR EAST UPDATE

HHI Starts '97

Strong

Korean yard wins bulker contract from Norway's

Bergesen to start year by Alan Thorpe international editor ' —L*? -1 feffi lc>J5. - . J? - ® v

Ihe first major newbuilding contract |for 1997 was Norway's Bergesen order for a 172,000-dwt bulk car- rier from South Korea's Hyundai

Heavy Industries (HHI) for $49 mil- lion. The vessel, when delivered in 1998, will enter a 15-year long term charter with British Steel.

The long drawn out Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. (KOTC) saga is set to reach fruition later this= month, with HHI expected to win an order two VLCCs, with an option for another.^^"he price is believed to be in the region of $80 mil- lion each. The negotiations for this deal have taken two years to complete, oaer South

Korean and Japanese yards beingJ/ne only com- petition.

HHI is also one of the favafites to win an order from Malaysian International Shipping

Corp. (MISC) for two 105,0flG-dwt tankers. The yard has two similar yfssels on its books, ordered by MISC d^ing 1995. Another shipowner intereste

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).

SHI has been one of the most successful new- building yards of late, with orders from Conoco for a 103,000-dwt specialized offshore drillship; two 150,000-dwt tankers from Greece's \

Thenamans; and an oo^Ton for a fourth vessel in a series or^-8,00^1wt tankers from Greece's

Ceres Hellenic^

Meanwhile, Q^uStoo Heavy Industries (DHI) has also bam active in the market with an order foj^wo 156,00(Ndwt tankers from U.S. majoiyoMI Corp. DHI has also reached an ini- tiaMigreement with Greeks Niarchos for a

J,000-dwt VLCC, and hasWon a further

Suezmax order from Sweden's IOB. One firm order recently won by DHI was anS(rder for a 126,000-dwt North Sea shuttle tanW from

Denmark's AP Moller. The vessel, due for^eliv- ery during late 1998, will be chartered to a i sortium of companies headed by BP Shipping

The vessel has been ordered for use from the

Schiehallion FPSO, which is currently under construction at Belfast's Harland & Wolff (H&W). Meanwhile, BP Shipping has a series of three Suezmax tankers under construction at

SHI. These vessels will also be owned by an independent (North American Shipping) and chartered to BP Shipping.

Daedong Shipbuilding is another South

Korean shipyard poised to enter the interna- tional market with an order for three handy- sized product carriers from Russia's Primorsk

Shipping. During last year, Daedong opened its new shipbuilding complex at Chinhae. The first ship, a 46,500-dwt bulk carrier for Hong

Kong's Parakou Shipping, is due for delivery next month.

The large South Korean yards'' involved in the con- struction of LNG carriers are it for a boost during 1997, with the news that Korean

Gas Corp. (KGC) will place contracts, through various

South Korean shipowners, for at least ten 135,000-cu-m capacity vessels. This follows six such orders placed during 1996 — two each for HHI and y DHI and one each for SHI and Hanjin Heavy

Industries.

Various yards in Japan have benefited from an order from United Arab Shipping

Co. (UASC) for a total of 10 containerships. Kawasaki

Heavy Industries will build four and Mitsubishi and Mitsui will build three each.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has won a further ULCC order in the form of a 305,000-dwt unit for Golden Ocean Group, with a second vessel currently being negotiated.

Italy's Scinicariello has ordered a 100,000-dwt tanker from Japan's Namura Zosen, with an option attached for a second ship. This ship- yard has also won a 170,000-dwt bulk carrier contract from Japan's Navix Line, the ship due for a long term charter to Nippon Steel.

Denmark's AP Moller (Maersk Line) has become the latest Western shipowner to move into the mainland Chinese market with an der for two specialized product carriers of llV)00 dwt (120,000-cu-m) from Dalian

Shipyard. The ships, which will both be deliv- ered duSmg the latter part of 1998, are similar in design oo those ships ordered by this owner from Japanl^Mitsui Zosen. Singapore's Pan

United Shipyard has recently won an order from Indonesia's itertamina for two 17,500-dwt tankers, the first aouble-hulled vessels to be built by this shipyard. Each vessel will have a cruising speed of 13 knots and will be able to carry up to 23,700-cu-m of crude oil.

Pan United is currently undergoing an expan- sion program at its shipyard with another float- ing dock, with a deadweight capacity of approx- 28 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News