Oman shiprepair yard on course for 2011

The $800 million drydock complex, the centrepiece of an ambitious Duqm master plan in northern Oman, with a capacity to handle vessels of all sizes, including ULCCs of up to 600,000 dwt. ODC will be one of the biggest repair yards in the world with two ULCC-sized drydocks measuring 410m x 95m and 410m x 80m, which are being built by a consortium of Korea’s Daewoo Engineering and Contracting and Galfar Engineering and Contracting.

Also, the latest dock operation pump system has been adopted in the design to fill or drain the docks within 3 to 5 hours so that turnover rate of the dock operation can be optimised. Jib cranes with maximum lifting capacity of 100 tonnes will be installed in order to shorten the process of repair and conversion work for large vessels by allowing use of larger blocks.

The official, who does not want to be named, said “Our main focus is on oil tankers and LNG vessels. Since Gulf countries are rich in oil, the number of vessels calling on various Gulf ports is high, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.” Apart from the region, ODC will try to attract international shipping lines and ship management firms for their repair requirements. Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) signed an agreement with Oman government earlier to operate and manage the facility for 10 years, which is extendable for another similar period.

The official said the first customer of ODC will be the state-owned Oman Shipping Company, which has a sizable fleet strength of 48 vessels, including tankers, LNG vessels and bulk carriers. “Oman Shipping Company has ambitious plans to increase its fleet.”

When operational, the Duqm facility claims it will rival Drydock World Dubai and Bahrain’s Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard since the strategic location of Duqm on the Arabian Sea is seen as an advantage. In the case of Dubai and Bahrain drydocks, ships will have to go to Fujairah to remove bilge water and slops before undergoing repairs, which is time consuming. To avoid this, ODC has invested for slop processing facilities and wastewater treatment systems thereby providing a one-stop service to shipping companies.

Empty tankers requiring repairs or maintenance will find it highly practical to halt at the Duqm port en route into the Gulf. Although the number of vessels that can be repaired at the new drydock will be limited in the initial months, the official noted that the yard could handle up to 120-130 vessels in a year once it is fully operational.

Referring to employment potential, the official said the ship repair yard will start operation with a workforce of 600 people, which can go up to 3,000 when operating at full capacity.