Duqm-based Oman Drydock Company (ODC) will be making an appearance at the renowned Kormarine show later this week as it finishes work on its first LNG ship ahead of schedule. Sailing into the dry dock on October 8, the Oman Shipping Company's Muscat LNG is the 26th ship to be delivered by ODC since the launch of its soft operations in April this year.
A spokesman of the company told Muscat Daily that ODC "finished repairing the ship ahead of time" as the ship's repair works were completed 12 days after the arrival of the 145,000 m3 ship at the facility. Work carried out on the ship included an overhaul of the boiler and re-painting, as well as renewing cable hangers and cables, and installing cable supports.
As Muscat LNG departs the dry dock, three more ships are scheduled to arrive on October 21 - two ferries from the National Ferries Company (NFC) and a barge. ODC will also be participating in the upcoming Kormarine exhibition.
To be held between October 26 and 29 in Busan, South Korea, the event is the biggest shipbuilding and marine materials expo in the world, with more than 1,000 major shipbuilders and marine machinery manufacturers attending.
This latest event comes after ODC took part in the INMEX India shipbuilding, dry dock and ship repair exhibition, held in Mumbai from September 29 to October 1. As the port operations in Duqm continues to grow, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) is looking to establish a permanent office in the area, according to the senior health, safety and environment manager at ODC.
Issam al Mukhaini said that MECA is looking to open its environmental office as the port facilities and services grow and surrounding industrial operations start to arrive.
He said, "MECA is looking to open a permanent office in Duqm, but we do not know when. They are looking to have the office here. We have the port coming up and the free zone coming up."
© Muscat Daily 2011
