KOTC evaluating shipyards for newbuildings

A delegation from Kuwait Oil Tankers Company (KOTC) will visit China and Japan to evaluate companies that could qualify to build six new tankers for the company. The company plans to build four crude oil tankers and two oil product tankers for delivery between 2009-2010.

Four Korean (Hyundai, Samsung, Daewoo and STX) and one Japanese shipbuilder (Kawasaki) have already qualified to enter the tender for the project and KOTC aims to add several other yards to the list of companies competing in the bid. The Kuwaiti company also intends to visit Croatia soon to look into the possibility of qualifying a Croatian company capable of building the product tankers.