Page 80: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1997)

FAR EAST UPDATE the yard, although it is operated on a purely autonomous basis. This new drydock complimented the existing two graving docks — with capacities of 15,000 and 25,000- dwt, respectively.

This new drydock is now main- land China's largest repair facility, and it has already drydocked its largest ever ship, Zodiac's 201,227- dwt bulk carrier Brazil Star, which entered the yard last year. Also in 1996, the yard carried out its two largest repair contracts onboard ships owned by Tsakos (600 tons of steel renewal) and European

Navigation (400 to 500 tons).

There are also plans this year to spend $3.5 million on new equip- ment, including grit blasting and painting units for the new drydock.

A technical agreement with

Singapore's Sembawang allowed the yard to gain a contract from

U.S. oil major Phillips to carry out repairs to FPSO Nan Hai Kai Tuo, which is operating off the Chinese coast on behalf of China National

Oil Co.

Gwangzhou Wenchong is also a newbuilding yard and its current orderbook comprises a series of four 1,200-TEU containerships for

Germany's Leonhardt & Blomberg.

This first vessel, which is the owner's design, is due for delivery during July and will be followed every five and a half months by the deliveries of the remaining three ships in the series.

To further its expertise in tank blasting and coatings operations,

Nantong Shipyard is prepared to sign a cooperation agreement with

German blasting specialist

Mulhearn, most likely in May. The yard is also in the process of gain- ing ISO 9002 accreditation with

DNV.

The yard, which was founded in 1992, has recently become a joint venture, with Japan's Kawasaki

Heavy Industries holding a 50 per- cent share. Facilities include two floating docks with capacities of 80,000 and 150,000 dwt, with the larger unit claiming honors as the largest floating dock in mainland

China.

The progress into the interna- tional market has been steady with management currently claiming about 60 percent of the ship repairs coming from overseas own- ers. The largest repair operation carried out involved Seahorse

Shipping's bulk carrier Oceani

Minanoa, which underwent som 1,700 tons of steel renewal durinj the latter part of 1995 and earb 1996.

Repair Trends

Competition from both mainland

China and the Middle East is slow- ly taking a toll upon the Singapore area, the traditional world leader in the repair industry. This increased competition for

Singapore has come at a time when the area has increased its repair capacity from some 2.8 million dwt capacity during the early 1990s to its present level of more than 4.1 million dwt.

The main consequence of these two factors is that there is now likely to be, for the first time, a 1997 International

Oil Spill Conference

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University of Maryland Coastal Research • Rear Admiral James C. "Jim" Card

U. S. Coast Guard

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