Malaysia-based Bumi Armada has recently launched the 'Armada Tuah 105', an 8,950kW AHTS at the DryDocks World Shipyard on Batam Island, Indonesia.
The 'Armada Tuah 105' has been contracted for work off the coast of Nigeria.
Hassan Basma, CEO of Bumi Armada, explained that the new vessel was the 13th in a series of 20 vessels for the company's newbuild program.
'Armada Tuah 104' was launched in October 2008 and has been contracted for work in Nigerian waters while another sister vessel, 'Armada Tuah 102' has been contracted for work in Malaysia.
Two mooring launches, 'Armada Mutiara 2' and 'Armada Mutiara 3' have also been contracted by a major international oil company for a ten-year charter off the coast of Sarawak.
Menwhile, the 'Armada Firman 2', a workboat, has arrived in Angola while its sister workboat, 'Armada Firman 3' will be heading off to the Gulf of Mexico shortly. Both these vessels are DP2-enabled, and classed by ABS to safely accommodate 180 personnel and equipped with 600 square metres of deck space and a 40-tonne SWL deck crane to support construction and installation activities.
Mr Basma said that in the economic slowdown, many newbuilding contracts have been either delayed or cancelled, and Bumi Armada is now able to provide oil majors with newer and better-equipped vessels.
"Older tonnage would lose out to our younger vessels," said Mr Basma.
