Maritime services and energy engineering company Topaz Marine has acquired a Multipurpose Support Vessel (MPSV) 'Ocean Commander' in Singapore. The vessel has been renamed 'Topaz Commander' and joins Topaz Marines' fleet of around 100 vessels.
Built in 1999 in Myklebust, Norway as a 84-metre UT 745 Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), the addition of a 50 tonne knuckle boom crane makes the 'Topaz Commander' a highly competent MPSV. It is classed as a DP2 vessel and features twin thrusters aft, a tunnel thruster and drop azimuth forward. At 4,263DWT and 840 square-metres of clear deck space, 'Topaz Commander' is among the largest vessels in Topaz's fleet.
'Topaz Commander' will immediately commence work under a contract with ADAMS Offshore Services Limited in Vietnam. The vessel acquisition was financed in part through a term-loan facility with Standard Chartered Bank.
In addition to the 'Topaz Commander', more than 10 new-build vessels will join the Topaz fleet during 2010, among them four anchor-handling tug supply vessels (AHTSV) with dual bow-thrusters custom built for the Saudi Arabian market.
