Oman Shipping Company emerging as major force: The dynamic owner has a young fleet that is growing larger all the time

摘要

Muscat-based Oman Shipping Company (OSC) is fast establishing itself as a major shipping force, not just in the Middle East. The company's fleet currently comprises 25 vessels, 21 of which are owned and four chartered in, while 17 more vessels are under construction and due for delivery in 2011 and 2012. The existing 21 strong owned fleet ranges in size from 8,700dwt to 317,000dwt and totals 2.43m dwt, including eight LNG carriers, three chemical tankers, six VLCCs, two product tankers and two multipurpose ships. The most recent addition to the OSC fleet was the 317,000dwt VLCC Sifa, which was delivered by Hyundai Heavy Industries in January this year. OSC has a very young fleet, with the majority of its vessels delivered since 2008. This has made it a popular choice with international charterers, including Shell, Mitsubishi, Itochi, Oman LNG, Petronet, Sohar Aluminium, Qatar Gas and Vale among others.