Topaz Energy and Marine, a leading offshore support vessel company, has in a consortium led by Blue Water Shipping A/S, secured a contract to supply and operate 15 vessels for the Tengizchevroil (TCO) joint venture in Kazakhstan.

The value of the contract is in excess of $350 million, a statement said.

 Under the terms of the agreement, Topaz will commission the construction of 15 newly designed Module Carrying Vessels (MCVs). The vessels will commence work in the second quarter (Q2) of 2018 for a minimum contract period of three years. The deal brings Topaz’s backlog to $1.6 billion, further strengthening Topaz’s earnings visibility and credit strength.

The innovative vessels have been designed in collaboration with Vard Shipyard Group as the designated shipyard, and crafted to navigate shallow river systems as they transport modules and cargoes through the Russian waterways to the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan. The 123 meter long vessels will be built in three Vard yards in Romania and Vietnam.

 René Kofod-Olsen, chief executive officer, Topaz Energy and Marine, said, “This award reinforces our reputation as a trusted offshore logistics partner to oil majors globally and we are humbled by TCO’s selection of Topaz.”

“With our proven track-record of reliable and safe operations which spans decades in the Caspian region, Topaz continues to capture value in this complex offshore market. Vard’s longstanding shipbuilding traditions, cutting-edge innovation and in-house technology perfectly complements Topaz’s reputation for providing quality and bespoke solutions to meet our client’s needs and we look forward to deepening our relationship with the Vard group.

“Our sincere gratitude also to Blue Water Shipping who is a regional leader in tailor-made transport and logistics solutions and our ideal partner in the execution of this complex logistics project,” Kofod-Olsen added.

 This is the second large contract awarded to Topaz this year, following the contract to supply 14 offshore support vessels to BP in Azerbaijan as announced in March. – TradeArabia News Service