Keel laid for Shanghai North Sea’s 2nd shuttle tanker for charter with Petrobras

Chinese shipbuilding company Dalian Shipbuilding Co. has held a keel-laying ceremony for the second dynamic positioning (DP) shuttle tanker being built for Shanghai North Sea Shipping.

As informed, the keel-laying ceremony was held in Dalian on 7 August. The vessel is the second 155,000 dwt shuttle tanker on charter with Brazilian state-owned oil and gas giant Petrobras.

The milestone marks the end of the block-building period as well as the beginning of the next phase, to complete the newbuilding with all its systems, according to the shipbuilder.

The shuttle tanker NS EXPLORER,is expected to be launched in January 2024 and delivered in August 2024.

The construction for the first shuttle tanker was completed and successfully delivered in March this year, 2023.

Petrobras has been investing in the contracting of sustainable ships, known as eco-type, which already represent around 37 per cent of the fleet of ships contracted by the company. The Brazilian firm says that these vessels were built from 2015 onwards to comply with the energy efficiency improvement measures established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO/IMO), which aim to reduce fuel consumption and gas emissions in the atmosphere. 

Last year, Norway-based shuttle tankers owner and operator Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (KNOT) ordered a shuttle tanker for time charter with Petrobras. The newly ordered vessel will be delivered in 2025. Then, the vessel will start operating under a 15-year-long time charter agreement with the Brazilian major. KNOT has also another shuttle tanker for a 10-year charter with Petrobras, scheduled for delivery in October 2024.

Besides these agreements, Petrobras welcomed the first of three sustainable shuttle tankers from AET, a Singapore-based petroleum logistics unit of Malaysian energy logistics group MISC Berhad last year. The new vessel is expected to contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in maritime transport and reinforce Petrobras’ fleet at a strategic time for the company, adding operational safety, reliability and value to the firm’s offloading operations.