Woodside charters Siem’s LNG-powered vessel

Siem Offshore has been awarded a charter contract for a dual fuel (LNG/MGO) PSV by Woodside Energy in Australia. According to Woodside, this is the first vessel of the kind to be used in Australia.

The contract for the PSV of a VS4411 design was awarded through Siem’s subsidiary, Siem Offshore Australia.

The duration of the charter is for a term of five years plus options of 2 x 1 year, expected to start in early 2017.

“This contract represents a significant milestone for both parties in terms of the commitment to Australia and the Asia Pacific region for Siem Offshore, and a significant step towards sustainable transportation on behalf of Woodside given the environmental benefits of LNG as the primary fuel source,” the shipping company said on Tuesday.

Woodside Chief Operations Officer Mike Utsler said: “We’re thrilled to be the first company to bring one of these vessels to the southern hemisphere. Australia is on track to become the world’s largest producer of LNG, so it makes perfect sense to build dual-fuel capabilities for our marine fleets here.

“Our LNG tankers use their cargo to power their engines, making them cleaner vessels that use less diesel. It’s natural that we progress this capability through to our support vessels,” he said.

Woodside’s new vessel will  support the company’s assets in the Exmouth and Pilbara regions. Woodside said it would continue to seek to expand the application of LNG-fueling in transportation in Western Australia, adding that dualfuel has an exciting future as it can be used to power a wide range of vessels.