Oman Shipping bolsters VLCC fleet size to 18 ships

MUSCAT: The State-owned Oman Shipping Company (OSC) announced on Thursday that it has added a new Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) to its world-class fleet of modern, ocean-going cargo ships. The delivery of Sur, a 300,000-tonne crude tanker, is set to bolster Oman Shipping’s VLCC fleet size to 18 ships in total. The delivery of another similar-sized sister ship is anticipated before the end of 2021, reinforcing Oman Shipping’s current ranking among the world’s top 10 owners of VLCC fleets. “The giant crude oil tanker Sur joins Oman Shipping Company’s fleet to become the 18th ship in the same class, which will raise the company’s total fleet size to 55 ships,” said OSC in a tweet on Thursday. Sur is one of three of three environment-friendly VLCCs ordered by Oman Shipping in a deal concluded with South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in June 2019. OSC said at the time that the newbuilds are part of the company’s fleet renewal strategy designed to strengthen connectivity between Oman’s ports and global ports in response to expanding customer demand, while also reinforcing the Sultanate’s logistics competitiveness. All three VLCCs are 336-metres-long and 60-metres-wide and capable of holding 300,000 tonnes of cargo. The trio of crude tankers also designed to meet future environmental requirements — including IMO 2020 standards — as well as benefit from DSME’s market-leading efficient-design for newbuilds. Based on next-generation design, the latest VLCCs feature highly-efficient engine and fuel-saving technologies. They are also outfitted with open loop scrubbers bringing addition environmental benefits while also addressing new SOX, NOX environmental regulations that came into effect from January 1, 2020, according to Oman Shipping. Significantly, Sur’s delivery over the weekend comes on the heels of the arrival of Bahla — the first of the three VLCCs constructed at DSME’s Okpo shipyard. Already in Oman Shipping’s VLCC fleet are: Al Suwaiq, Bukha, Daba, Dhalkout, Fida, Habrut, Izki, Manah, Mirbat, Mazyonah, Saham, Saiq, Samayil, Seeb, Sifa and Taqah. Oman Shipping Company is owned around 80 per cent by Oman Global Logistics Group (Asyad) with OQ (formerly Oman Oil and Orpic Group) and Oman Rail sharing the balance 20 per cent of the equity in the company. The group has three subsidiaries namely Oman Charter Company, which oversees the group’s commercial operations; Oman Ship Management Company (OSMC), which provides technical management services; and Oman Container Line, dedicated to driving the goal of the group’s new container business. Earlier this year, parent organisation Asyad Group announced a formal integration of Oman Shipping Company with Oman Drydock Company (ODC) to help develop and optimise synergies between the two state-owned entities.