Ship repair facility at Duqm by March 2011

Oman Drydock Company (ODC) is planning to commence ship repair operations at its world-class facility coming up in Duqm in March 2011. "As much as 75 per cent of the infrastructure (including civil work) and superstructure is complete now," said a senior official, who is actively involved in setting up the $800 million-facility.
The drydock complex, the centerpiece of an ambitious Duqm master plan in northern Oman, will have a capacity to handle vessels of all sizes, including Ultra Large Crude Carriers (ULCCs) of up to 600,000 dead weight tonne (DWT) capacity.
ODC will be one of the biggest repair yards in the world with two ULCC-sized drydocks, which are being built by a consortium of Korea's Daewoo Engineering and Contracting and Galfar Engineering and Contracting.
The official, who does not want to be named, said the main focus of the drydock will be on oil tankers and specialised liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels.
"Our main focus is on oil tankers and LNG vessels. Since Gulf countries are rich in oil, the number of vessels calling on various Gulf ports is high, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait," the official said.
Apart from the region, ODC will try to attract international shipping lines and ship management firms for their repair requirements. Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co signed an agreement with Oman government earlier to operate and manage the facility for 10 years, which is extendable for another similar period.
The official said the first customer of ODC will be the state-owned Oman Shipping Company, which has a sizable fleet strength of 48 vessels, including tankers, LNG vessels and bulk carriers. "Oman Shipping Company has ambitious plans to increase fleet."
When operational, the Duqm will rival Drydock World Dubai and Bahrain's Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard. "The strategic location of Duqm on the Arabian Sea is an advantage."
In the case of Dubai and Bahrain drydocks, ships will have to go to Fujairah to remove its residuals before repair, which is time consuming. To avoid this, ODC has invested for slop reception and sludge treatment plant.
"ODC provides a one-stop service, which is beneficial for shipping lines."
Empty tankers requiring repairs or maintenance will find it highly practical to halt at the Duqm port en route into the Gulf.
Saying that the number of vessels that can be repaired at the drydock will be limited in the initial months, the official noted that the yard could handle up to 120-130 vessels in a year once it stabilises operation.
Referring to employment potential, the official said the ship repair yard will start operation with a workforce of 600 people, which can go up to 3,000 when the company stabilises operation.