Iranian Offshore Oil Company, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, has signed contracts with three private companies to build six offshore vessels.
"The ships, designed to serve different purposes, are expected to be built in three years at an estimated cost of $50 million," Hamid Bovard, the company's CEO said on the sidelines of the signing ceremony in Kish Island on Tuesday, Shana reported.
Offshore vessels are specially designed ships for transporting goods and personnel to offshore oil platforms that operate deep in the oceans. They include platform supply vessels, passenger vessels and offshore support vessels in addition to specialty vessels including anchor handling vessels, drilling vessels, well intervention vessels, ice breaking vessels, cable laying vessels, seismic vessels, and fire fighting vessels.
The IOOC chief said the first deal was signed with Barzin International Energy Novation, to build two platform supply vessels, cost $20 million, which will carry offshore oil and gas platforms and equipment. The ships range from 50 to 100 meters.
"The second contract is with Batservice Iran, a company specializing in building passenger and mixed cargo ships. It will build two passenger vessels each accommodating 80 passengers." The estimated cost is $10 million.
Regarding the third agreement with Morvarid Parsian Kish Company, Bovard said the firm is to build two offshore support vessels to move floating rigs plus mooring and fixed production platforms. The contract is $20 million.
He further said 85 offshore vessels are working for IOOC of which 65% are owned by foreign companies.
IOOC is in charge of developing crude oil reservoirs in the Persian Gulf, including Abouzar, Hendijan, Bahregansar, Reshadat, Soroush, Norouz, Salman and Doroud fields as well as collecting associated petroleum gases in Kharg Island and Bahregan oil region.
Oilfields under the development by IOOC hold an estimated 100 billion barrels of crude, comprising roughly 15% of the country's total oil reserves.
IOOC is also in charge of Iran's first floating production, storage and offloading vessel, named FPSO Cyrus. It is extracting crude from the oil layer in South Pars, the giant gas field shared between Iran and Qatar.
