History was made at Ras Laffan as HE the Minister for Energy and Industry Dr Mohammed Saleh Al Sada unveiled the name of the 140m steel barge Al Ghatroushah, the first project to be completed by Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) and the first vessel of its kind constructed entirely in Qatar.
The barge’s name was revealed by His Excellency at a formal ceremony held at NDSQ’s facilities at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard on the Port of Ras Laffan’s Southern Breakwater.
Qatari dignitaries and top level management from the shipyard’s owner Qatar Petroleum, NDSQ, Nakilat and a host of companies from Qatar’s marine sector attended the event, which was held aboard the barge.
Local and international journalists also witnessed the ceremony to celebrate the naming of this 140-metre load-out and recovery barge, a milestone in the development of Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ), a shipbuilder specializing in the construction of high-value vessels up to 170-metres in length.
The 6,500-tonne load-out and recovery barge took 1.6 million man-hours to complete and not a single Lost Time Incident (LTI) was recorded throughout the barge’s build and launch — an unprecedented safety achievement for such a young company. The barge now forms part of the shipyard’s infrastructure and will be used for the launch and recovery of boats by NDSQ, which is currently building 19 workboats up to 32m in length for QP’s Port of Mesaieed.
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Press Release, January 14, 2013