Iran Private Sector Building Vessels
The Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) has signed memorandums for cooperation with four Iranian companies to supply offshore vessels and standardize imported flexible oil pipes.
These memorandums lie within the framework of general policy to support Iranian manufacturers in providing flexible oil pipelines in Iran.
Hamid Bovard, CEO of IOOC, expressed hope that such memorandums would help Iranian offshore vessels be able to continue operating.
The memorandums were signed on the sidelines of a marine industry exhibition in Kish Island between IOOC on one side and Barzin Energy Noavar, Parto Tadbir Pars, Morvarid Parsian Kish and Batservice Contracting, on the other.
Three of the MOUs are on the supply of offshore vessels to IOOC and the fourth one is on standardization of flexible oil pipes.
“The policy and strategy pursued by the Petroleum Ministry is to make maximum use of domestic manufacturing potential, in which case MOUs have been signed for building offshore vessels in line with Petroleum Ministry’s objectives,” said Bovard.
Currently 85 vessels are operating in IOOC-run areas, 95% of which are owned by foreign entities. The figure has been cut to 30% in the past two years.
IOOC expects the MOUs to bring all offshore vessels under the ownership of Iranian entities.
Bovard said the MOUs comprised private sector investment, manufacturer and operator.
“IOOC has undertaken to create jobs for investment in the domestic building of marine vessels,” he added.
Flexible Pipe Standardization
Bovard touched on the MOU signed for the standardization of flexible oil pipes, saying: “This MOU has been signed in the form of comprehensive management software aimed at improving maintenance of pipelines.”
Iran’s offshore pipeline network in the Persian Gulf measures nearly 3,500 kilometers long. Some of these flexible pipelines are not manufactured in Iran. Standardization and future manufacturing of such pipes are envisaged.
The MOU between IOOC and Parto Tadbir Pars is aimed at the transfer of knowhow and technology to standardize flexible pipes over a two-year period.
Saba Qasemizad, director of fluids division at Parto Tadbir Pars, said maintenance of flexible pipes is among methods currently common in the petroleum industry.
“One of objectives in signing this MOU is to standardize flexible oil pipes enable us to optimize the process of their purchase and guarantee them longer lifetime,” she said.
She added that the technical knowhow for flexible pipes is possessed by Western European companies.
“Our company’s technical knowhow belongs to Dunlop of the United Kingdom. “Since we’ve now learnt its manufacturing technology, we plan to transfer it into Iran,” said Qasemizad.
She added that the project had been operated by Iranian manufacturers from A to Z, noting that the agreement would be implemented without foreign companies.
Untapped Capacity of Iran Manufacturers
By signing these MOUs, IOOC hopes to benefit from the untapped capacity of Iranian companies in the offshore sector and construction of vessels. The MOU signed with Barzin Energy Co. is aimed at the construction of tugboats for petroleum industry, repair boats and loading and export vessels. These vessels are required to be built on Iran’s territory so that the Iranian manufacturers’ potential would be used.
Salman Khosravi, director of IOOC contracts affairs, said: “These agreements were signed in application of the recent instruction by the Minister of Petroleum for using Iranian-flagged vessels.”
He said construction of each vessel would cost $10 million. “The Iranian company Barzin Energy Noavar is expected to build vessels in three years and deliver them.”
Multi-Purpose Supply Vessels (MPSV)
A third MOU was signed with Batservice Contracting for the construction of multipurpose passenger boats, made from aluminum, in cooperation with a Norwegian company.
Such vessels would carry 80 passengers, as well as cargoes at the same time. The investment envisioned for this project amounts to $5.2 million. Two vessels are initially planned to be constructed by the Iranian company in less than four years.
The MOU signed with Morvarid Parsian Kish is about the building of two Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels tasked with providing drilling services. Estimated to cost $20 million, the project would last three years.
Normally, offshore drilling services vessels were provided by foreign companies, but now IOOC hopes that such vessels would be built in Iran.
Therefore, orders will be placed with Iranian manufacturers of vessels. Domestic companies will also account for necessary investment.
According to official data, IOOC offshore and drilling services have saved Iran more than $237 million in the past two years.