Oman Drydock Company (ODC) has successfully completed the conversion of 'Olympic Luck,' an oil bulk ore carrier into a very large crude carrier for its Greek vessel owners Springfield Shipping Company.

A special ceremony was held at the shipyard in Duqm to celebrate its 300th drydocking and first major conversion job.
 
ODC chairman Dr Abdulmalik Bin Abdullah Al Hinai said the company was developing a formidable reputation for its ship repair and conversion services and was now gearing up to enter the global shipbuilding market.
 
"We are extremely proud to announce the completion of this project which saw the Olympic Luck converted from an oil bulk ore carrier to a very large crude carrier," stated Al Hinai.

"This was the first major conversion job we have undertaken and is a terrific showcase for the world class infrastructure, facilities and workforce we have. The vessel weighs more than 319,000 tonnes and is close to 314 metres in length," he noted.

"More than 1,000 men worked on the job which involved 3,000 tonnes of steelwork and was completed in around 80 days," he added.
 
ODC chief executive Yong Duk Park said the conversion was helped enormously by the highly sophisticated expertise of Korean shipbuilding giant DSME which is ODC’s partner.

Park said few other shipyards in the Gulf can match the level of conversion and ship building skills at ODC’s disposal because of its partnership with DSME.
 
"We removed bulk head covers and installed new swash bulk heads, making the vessel multi-functional for more efficient loading,” he said.

“We used DSME's broad knowledge of precision engineering and design innovation to inform our construction methods. For the Olympic Luck we fabricated close to 40 blocks between 50 and 80 tonnes. This enabled us to build in larger portions, reducing on time and cost,” added Park.
 
Springfield Shipping Company general manager Dimitris Patrikios said ODC's ability to deliver the highly complex conversion project could lead to future work with the yard.
 
"This was a unique project which helped to show the professional expertise of ODC,” he said. “It was the first time ODC has taken on a project of this scale. Our decision to award the contract was based on ODC's promise to complete the project with high quality," he added.-TradeArabia News Service