Sea-Cargo, 22nd January 2010

New Aberdeen Offshore Support Base

Leading marine and cargo-handling operator Sea-Cargo is expanding its involvement in the offshore oil and gas industry by launching a new Aberdeen Offshore Support Base to provide oil companies and other offshore clients with a wider choice of services in the port.

This six-figure investment is likely to lead to the creation of a number of new jobs and further development of the existing Sea-Cargo Matthews Quay facility. Sea-Cargo already has a long track record in handling offshore vessels on an ad hoc basis and has now formalised their Offshore Support Base services in response to market demand.

Located at Matthews Quay, the Sea-Cargo facility is well served with extensive berthing, warehousing and quayside marshalling areas.

Sea-Cargo has a long established support infrastructure that includes cranes, transport, forklifts, stevedores and specialised handling equipment. The company is building on a strong existing operation and client base, with weekly scheduled vessel shipments from Matthews Quay to West Africa and Norway and other ports in Northern Europe giving oil and gas clients a unique ‘one-stop shop’ for their oilfield cargo handling needs. The Matthews Quay Base is also home to a two-storey 450 square metre modern office building that can be made available to clients.

Sea-Cargo Aberdeen General Manager, Ian Shewan, said “We have carried out offshore support vessel discharges and loadings for several decades and recent market trends have led us to widen this service and increase the options for oil and gas companies wishing to use Aberdeen harbour.”

“Our team has handled over 1,000,000 tonnes of cargo in recent years – the majority of this oil and gas related – and with our advanced cargo-handling techniques and cost-effective approach we believe that we are well positioned to develop a major offshore support facility in the heart of Aberdeen harbour.”

Sea-Cargo has appointed Jim Cargill to head up the offshore support base and he comes to the company after many years of UK and overseas experience with companies like SBS, ASCo, OIL and Wood Group Offshore.

Sea-Cargo is also innovating in the marine sector with the ordering of environmentally friendly LNG-powered cargo vessels set to ply their trade on the oil and gas routes of the North Sea.

A photograph of Jim Cargill (left) and Ian Shewan

Sea-Cargo Aberdeen Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sea-Cargo AS, Norway. Sea-Cargo AS was “founded” on 1st August 2001 through the merger of the liner activities of Seatrans and Nor Cargo, the two leading shipping lines trading between West Coast of Norway to UK and mainland Europe.
The Company is controlled by Seatrans (58%) & Nor Lines (39%),  both major operators in various sectors, including Chemicals, Forestry and Oil/Gas equipment. Sea-Cargo operates a modern fleet of 7 multi purpose vessels, offering RoRo, Container, side door (pallet & conventional), heavy lift and through hatch capacity. Sea-Cargo offers over 1.5 million tonnes of cargo capacity in each direction per year.

Sea-Cargo has defined its next generation of vessels, ordering four RoRo vessels that will be built in India for delivery in 2010-2011, with options for four more. The new vessels are 132.8m long, have a dwt of abt. 5,600 tonnes on a draught of 6m – with abt. 1150 lanemeters. They are further fitted with a 50 tonnes container crane.

With focus on reducing exhaust emissions from short sea and coastal vessels, Sea-Cargo identified liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the future fuel of choice. The company turned to Rolls-Royce for assistance in designing the vessels and for the propulsion  equipment  solution. The outcome of these discussions were that newbuildings no. 3 and 4 (hull 357 and 358) will be built with a full LNG propulsion package – believed to be the first ever designs of its type.
                                                                       
The vessels will operate on a weekly service between the west coast of Norway, UK and the Continent

Issued on behalf of Sea-Cargo by Mearns & Gill Public Relations