Qatar’s Nakilat-Keppel Offshore Marine (N-KOM) has strengthened its ties to Greek shipping after signing a fleet repairs agreement with Samos Steamship Company.

N-KOM, the shipyard subsidiary of Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat), will be the preferred shipyard services supplier to Samos in the Middle East under the terms of the arrangement.

It follows a similar deal with the Athens-based Angelicoussis Shipping Group signed in late December covering its fleet of bulk carriers, tankers, and LNG and LPG vessels operated by subsidiaries Anangel Maritime Services, Maran Tankers Management and Maran Gas Maritime.

Samos is an existing client of N-KOM’s with several tanker repairs already having been undertaken at its Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan Industrial City 80km north of Doha.

The Greek shipowner operates a fleet of 12 tankers, including the VLCC Kokkari, and nine bulk carriers including two capsize vessels, London Spirit and Stamatis. It has six newbuildings, including four tankers headlined by a 115,000 dwt Aframax, due for delivery in 2017 and 2018.

“We have been very satisfied with the high quality and timely repairs of our tankers by N-KOM over the years and are happy to further grow our partnership with this fleet agreement,” said Samos Steamship Company md Anastassios Tzamouranis.

Nakilat md, Engineer Abdullah Fadhalah Al Sulaiti, said his company was pleased to strengthen its strategic partnership with Samos.

“Nakilat has enjoyed successful long-standing partnerships with Greek shipping companies such as Maran Gas Maritime, and we look forward to the continued support from our Greek and other international clients to grow Qatar’s reputation as a maritime centre of excellence in the region,” he said.

The Samos agreement also follows in the wake of last week’s announcement of a five-year MoU agreement with McDermott International, the Houston-headquartered engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) services provider, to pursue offshore projects within Qatari waters. N-KOM will provide fabrication services to the exclusive co-operation agreement.

Source: seatrade-maritime.com