ABU DHABI - The National Petroleum Construction Company, NPCC, a part of Senaat, one of the UAEs largest industrial investment holding companies owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, today announced the expansion of its fleet with a new vessel, the Delma 2000, further enabling the company to undertake deepwater projects in the region and globally.

The vessel has proven offshore and subsea construction capabilities and with advanced European specifications mark an investment of more than AED330 million by the NPCC to strengthen its service offering, working deeper and further into the sea, with capabilities to lift up to 1,600MT and extend pipelines to a depth of 2,000 metres. This adds to the NPCCs flagship vessel, DLS400, which has a lifting capacity of 4,500MT.

The acquisition of the new vessel was announced by the NPCC at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference, ADIPEC, being held at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre, taking the total fleet size of vessels and barges under the NPCC to 23.

Ahmed Al Dhaheri, CEO of NPCC, said, "At the NPCC, we are committed to strengthening our capabilities to serve our customers more efficiently and push the level of complex services that we can offer. A significant investment in enhancing our future growth prospects, more so, as we expand our operations globally, the new vessel will enable us to undertake projects offshore that call for deepwater competencies. As the UAE looks to tap into its newly identified and existing oil and gas resources, we will continue to support our partners in their operations through highly efficient solutions."

A multi-functional vessel, the new ship is equipped with Class 3 dynamic positioning, and a 1,600MT heavy-lift slewing crane, S-lay pipelay spread and a 200MT subsea active-heave compensated crane with 2,000 metres of water-depth capacity. The vessel also has substantial accommodation facilities, including 308 high-quality berths to host a large team of professionals on board.

The NPCCs fleet strength can help lift structures weighing up to 4,200MT and is equipped for laying subsea cables and pipelines, up to 66 inches in diameter, in water depths from 10 to 2,000 metres.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2019.