Qatar’s highly anticipated mega shipyard facility, Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM), opened its doors last November to the keen reception of ship and rig owners, in particular those based in the Middle East region.
With the vision to be the region’s new centre of excellence for offshore and marine services, this 43-ha facility[ds_preview] is strategically located at the north-eastern tip of Qatar, near the country’s LNG terminals and the Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Mr Abu Bakar Mohd Nor, CEO of N-KOM, said, »N-KOM is the result of a landmark partnership between the world leader in LNG transportation – Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat) – and the leading global provider of offshore and marine solutions – Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. The yard offers a wide range of services including ship repair and conversion, rig refurbishment, and the fabrication of onshore and offshore structures.«
At the current phase of yard development, N-KOM has two VLCC-size drydocks and 2.4 km of repair berths with a minimum water depth of 11 m. It is equipped with comprehensive workshops and supporting services including lay-down and fabrication areas, which enhance the overall efficiency and safety of the yard operations. The yard has been certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) with the Integrated Management System, which covers ISO 9001 for quality, OHSAS 18001 for Occupation Health & Safety and ISO 14001 for Environmental Management.
N-KOM has since its opening, signed several service agreements with various major fleet owners, including a three-year ship repair arrangement with Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCo).
N-KOM has also entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Gulf Drilling International (GDI) on the offshore works, and letters of intent with Idemitsu Tanker, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, NYK Line, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Iino Lines and Marine Contracting Association, to provide shipyard and drydocking services for their vessels.
»We have made significant progress since N-KOM’s inauguration late last year; this would not have been possible without the strong support from our customers, partners, contractors, vendors and employees.
The yard is already operational, and has started to dock vessels and do fabrication and onshore works. We would like to thank our customers for the trust and confidence in us and look forward to everyone continuous support as we move forward to ensure that N-KOM be one of the premier yards and a new centre of excellence for offshore and marine services in this region,« said Mr Abu Bakar.
