Eighteen more for SMIT

SMIT, the Dutch towage company, has reached an agreement with Damen Shipyards for the construction of 11 newly built tugs.

Two of these will be type ASD 3211 tugs (65 tons bp) which have been awarded with a long-term contract for the Terminals Division in Equatorial Guinea and will be delivered in respectively September and December 2007.

Four type ASD 2810 tugs are replacements for the Harbour Towage fleet in Rotterdam. These vessels will be equipped with a substantially higher bollard pull (60 tons bp). Two of these vessels will be delivered in respectively 2007 and 2008. An additional five vessels of the ASD 2810 type (60 tons bp) will be deployed as replacement for and expansion of the divisions? worldwide fleet. Two vessels will be delivered in 2007 and three in 2008.

Also, SMIT has reached an agreement for the purchase of 7 newly built work vessels from Hadi H. Al-Hammam, one of the leading providers of marine / offshore support services to the Oil & Gas Industry in Saudi Arabia and Middle East. These vessels of approximately 75 tons bp are a modified version of the ?Smit Kamara? and ?Smit Komodo?. The first two vessels of this new series will be delivered during this year and the last one is expected to be delivered in 2008. They will be managed by the SMIT Singapore organisation.

This investment comprises both replacement as well as expansion. Three of these vessels have already been awarded with long-term contracts for the oil & gas sector to work for Saudi Aramco in Saudi waters through Hadi H. Al-Hammam Est. Both Hadi H.Al-Hammam Est. and SMIT have declared their intent to jointly pursue additional opportunities in Saudi Arabia.