STATOIL CHARTERS FIVE 'ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND' TANKERS

July 9, 1990
The board of Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS has approved the time charter of five new 100,000 dwt crude oil tankers from three Norwegian shipowners. Statoil terms the vessels "environmentally sound." Two are double hulled, two have double bottoms, and one has a partial double bottom. The charter contracts, with a combined value of 2.2 billion kroner ($340 million), cover ships to be delivered this month through first quarter 1993.

The board of Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS has approved the time charter of five new 100,000 dwt crude oil tankers from three Norwegian shipowners.

Statoil terms the vessels "environmentally sound." Two are double hulled, two have double bottoms, and one has a partial double bottom.

The charter contracts, with a combined value of 2.2 billion kroner ($340 million), cover ships to be delivered this month through first quarter 1993.

With the charter of these vessels, Statoil's fleet will consist of 28 crude oil, refined product, and LPG tankers, of which 22 have whole or partial double sides and double bottoms.

"With these time charters, Statoil becomes one of the few oil companies in the world with such a high percentage of environmentally sound vessels," said Kristoffer M. Maroe, general manager of Statoil North America Inc., Stamford, Conn.

"Statoil is strongly concerned that its shipments of crude oil, LPG, and refined products take place in the best and safest way possible.

"Through these time charters, we are making an investment today in modern equipment that will meet future demands for environmental safety imposed by national and international authorities."

THE VESSELS

Statoil's new charters cover:

  • One vessel from shipowners E.B. Aaby, Oslo. It will be delivered from Spain's Sestato yard this month.

    Equipped with a partial double bottom, it has been chartered for 5 years.

  • Two tankers with double bottoms from shipowners Christian Haaland AS, Haugesund, for 5 years.

    Under construction at Yugoslavia's 3rd of May yard, they will be delivered in second and fourth quarters 1991.

  • Two double hulled vessels from shipowners M.J. Ludwig Mowinkel Rederi AS, Bergen, for 10 years. They will be delivered by Japan's Sumitomo Group in fourth quarter 1992 and first quarter 1993.

    Statoil has an option to extend all the charters beyond 10 years.

It is expanding its tanker capacity because of the increasing supply of crude oil from the Norwegian North Sea expected during the next few years.

Statoil is Europe's largest producer of North Sea oil, where its flow is about 850,000 b/d.

It also is a major supplier of natural gas to western Europe.

Wholly owned Statoil North America supplies increasing volumes of oil to the U.S. and Canada.

Current volume is more than 200,000 b/d.

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