Petrobras Invests Heavily in Ships

Source: Marinelink

The already hot Brazillian maritime market is set to get even hotter, as Petrobras yesterday opened a tender for 24 service ships, part of a bigger 146-boat order that will run through 2014 in the local market, according to a Reuters report. According to Reuters, supply ships account for almost half of the order, which also includes ships used in platform anchoring, tug boats and spill control boats.

Petrobras, which has a $112 billion investment plan through 2012, is expanding and refurbishing its fleet. It has already contracted the construction of 23 tankers, and more orders are in the pipeline.

Petrobras is also planning to order two Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) supertankers, but did not give a timetable for the transaction.
The plan to build new ships – and potentially some new drilling rigs – in Brazil is designed to revitalize the local ship-building industry and boost the coastal dry freight sector.