N- Kom delivers first lifeboat in Qatar

Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM), the joint venture shipyard between Qatar's Nakilat and Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), has successfully delivered its first liftboat unit, Al Safliya, to Qatari rig operator Gulf Drilling International (GDI), subsidiary of Gulf International Services, in a safe and timely manner without any lost-time incident.

Built to the ORCA 2500 design developed by Keppel O&M's design arm, Bennett Offshore, Al Safliya is the first liftboat to be wholly constructed in Qatar at the Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma shipyard. The self-propelled and elevating unit is customised for operations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in water depths of up to 65 metres, and has been chartered by Gulf Liftboat to work for Dolphin Energy Limited.

Mr Mubarak Al Hajri, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GDI, said, "GDI is pleased with the quality delivered of Al Safliya. GDI is also proud to sign its first liftboat services contract with Dolphin Energy. We are determined to continue the success that has been achieved in order to support the expansion of GDI business; we have been seeking to develop the liftboat segment of the business for several years and it is exciting to finally achieve this breakthrough. We welcome the opportunity to work with a prestigious customer like Dolphin Energy and look forward to having a long and mutually successful partnership."

Mr Ebrahim Ahmad Al-Mannai, Managing Director of Gulf International Services, commented, "We look forward to a positive impact on GDI's financial position when contracting Al Safliya against the backdrop of a lower demand for drilling rig services, especially the offshore."

Nakilat Managing Director Eng. Abdullah Al Sulaiti said, "Nakilat is proud of its position as a leading maritime company in Qatar. That is evident in our successful completion of various projects and the establishment of Erhama bin Jabr Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan.

"Al Safliya is the newest project by Nakilat. We have also completed more than 20 projects of repair, maintenance and modification projects for GDI. We are proud of the strategic relationship that we share with them, which resulted in recognising these outstanding specifications of international maritime standards. We look forward to implementing these projects, which contribute to the strengthening of Qatar's position in the maritime industry around the world and bring us a step closer to the achievement of the Qatar National Vision 2030."

The ORCA 2500 class liftboat is equipped with four tubular legs, a unique 200-tonne leg encircling crane and a 50-tonne pedestal crane, a large open deck space of around 800 sqm, a helideck, and accommodation capacity for 130 persons. It can undertake a wide range of services such as well servicing, commissioning, maintenance and decommissioning of offshore platforms. The liftboat also allows for a specially designed gangway bridge to be used for emergency and other safety purposes.

Bennett Offshore has also developed other liftboat designs (such as the ORCA 1500 and ORCA 3500) with varying operational and accommodation capacities to suit its clients' requirements.

Liftboats have increasingly shown to be a more efficient alternative to traditional non-self-propelled and self-elevating units. Its ability to mobilise without the assistance of support vessels makes it versatile, cost-effective, and suitable for a wide range of shallow water offshore operations. By customising liftboats with different tonnage cranes on deck, they can undertake the maintenance of most shallow water oil and gas fields and wind farms, as well as various workover drilling operations and well intervention applications. The self-elevating feature of the liftboat also provides a stable, safe and efficient work environment by raising the working areas above the influence of wave action.

Established in 2007, N-KOM is a joint venture between Qatar's premier gas shipper Nakilat and leading offshore rig constructor and ship repairer Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. From its strategic location in the heart of the Arabian Gulf and within the world-class Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard complex, N-KOM offers a comprehensive range of repair, conversion, maintenance and fabrication services for marine vessels, offshore and onshore structures.

This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 38  No.2  Issue last April 30,2016.