Offshore Industry Boosts Lerwick Harbour Traffic (UK)

Lerwick Harbour attracted higher-than-forecast offshore industry traffic last year as the increasingly buoyant oil and gas sector generated more activity at the deep-water port’s expanding facilities.

Figures released by Lerwick Port Authority show that the number of offshore industry vessels using Lerwick rose 9% last year to 623, compared with 2011, with the tonnage of shipping at 3 million gross tonnes up 52%. Oil-related cargo jumped 40% to 138,750 tonnes.

Port Authority Chief Executive, Sandra Laurenson, said: “The continuing increase in offshore industry traffic reinforces our investment strategy, including the deep-water quay completed early almost a year ago to meet demand and the commitment to build an extension this year. We are projecting more growth in 2013, with support for ongoing decommissioning work and more field development projects, in particular.”

[mappress]

January 30, 2013