Africa-focused proprietary investment firm L.A.T. Cleveson (LATC) signed an order with Damen Shipyards Group for two PSV 3300 platform supply vessels and two FCS 5009 fast supplier vessels.
This order will bring next generation Damen PSVs to the offshore industry of Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea for the first time.
The move is being made by LATC Marine, a subsidiary of LATC, which has established a positive reputation by providing state of the art marine vessel supply and offshore operation support services to oil and gas operators in Nigeria.
The company’s aim is to set new standards in the West African offshore oil sector through acquiring modern and technologically advanced assets to serve international & local clients operating in the region. Vessels servicing the offshore industry in the Gulf of Guinea, and specifically Nigeria, typically are substantially older than those operating elsewhere in the world – until now. The purchase has been financed by Nigeria's Fidelity Bank.
Gbolahan Shaba, COO of LATC Marine, says: “Our aim is to redefine the concept of quality tonnage in the Gulf of Guinea and particularly in Nigeria. We plan to locally develop the necessary skill sets that will sustain our quality service to the most demanding clientele who run very complex operations in the most challenging environments. Ultimately, our strategy is to attain the capacity to build and maintain quality tonnage in Nigeria. We anticipate strong demand for repair and docking services in our region and we plan to create the facilities to meet that demand, professionally and safely.”
Advising on the agreement was RS Platou Africa (RSP), a subsidiary of shipbroker Clarksons. Simon Pethick, Head of RSP’s offshore support vessel and drilling units division, says: “For some years now, we have seen the need for innovation in vessel designs of higher quality and efficiency and especially sustainable services throughout Africa’s west coast operations. Hence, new - and newly built – tonnage is needed. At the same time, both businesses and governments need long-term stability to grow. This can only happen if the region develops the right skills and focuses on long-term relationships between owners, operators, suppliers, governments and financial institutions for the development of long term sustainability. We are proud to be the ‘enabing advisor’ in this project, which does exactly that – taking steps to enable long-term commitment and growth.”
The PSVs and fast suppliers vessels acquired by LATC Marine will have the full support of the Damen Service Hub in Port Harcourt, as well as the Damen Regional Office in Lagos. An additional Service Hub in Ghana is being planned.
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