Garware Offshore expands

In the wake of the present boom in offshore oil exploration and production activities in the India, Garware Offshore Services (GOS) has drawn up an acquisition plan involving the procurement of about 14 offshore supply vessels by 2010.

GOS has just received delivery of a new platform supply vessel, a UT 755L which has been built at the Norwegian shipyard of Havyard Leirvik and is making its way to India.

The vessel has been chartered to TransOcean on a 3-year contract. GOS will also be receiving from Havyard another UT755L unit in April 2007 and two UT755N PSVs for delivery in March and December 2008 respectively.

The company, which currently has four anchor handling tugs-cum-supply vessels deployed with ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.) in India, has also recently entered into a MoU with Havyard Leirvik AS for exclusive representation in the Indian market for the supply of vessels to Indian shipping companies and supply of Havyard designs to Indian shipyards. With this agreement, GOS has submitted a proposal to ONGC for the construction of 28 offshore supply vessels on behalf of Havyard Leirvik.