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The new Arabian Gulf repair facility will have 11 berths, five moorings, three drydocks, two of which will handle vessels up to 500,000 dwt, and the third capable of handling 1,000,000-dwt tankers. John J. McMullen Associates Announces $162-Million Ship Repair Facility The construction of a massive new $162-million ship repair facil- ity in the Middle East was an- nounced on February 22 at the New York World Trade Center offices of John J. McMullen Asso- ciates, Inc., by Dr. John J. Mc- Mullen, chairman of the board. Present at the announcement were representatives of Taylor Wood- row International Limited, Costain Civil Engineering Limited, and Lazard 'Brothers & Co., Limited. Initiated by Sheikh Rashid bin Said al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and its Dependencies, the mammoth new ship repair facility is designed to match the needs of the new VLCCs—the Jumbo oil tankers ranging from 175,000 to 500,000 deadweight tons. The new facility will be the larg- est of its kind in the world and the largest single industrial ven- ture in the Middle East. Its stra- tegic location in Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates on the Ara- bian Gulf, is of key significance in the worldwide logistics of pe- troleum resources and distribution His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Said al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai —and another example of Sheikh Rashid's vision and enterprise. The huge new ship repair yard and drydock will be part of the port area of Dubai, already the most modern port installation in the Middle East. Feasibility Of The Project John J. McMullen Associates, Inc. has carried out the economic evaluation of a drydocking and ship repair facility in Dubai at the request of Sheikh Rashid. The study indicates that the Arabian Gulf is particularly well placed to offer this type of facility. A significant number of oil ma- jors and VLCC owners approach- ed have confirmed that the siting of the drydock in the Arabian Gulf is more attractive to them than the existing facilities which are avail- able in Europe and the Far East. Reasons: VLCCs require drydock- ing for maintenance and repair on an average of every 18 months. Before the work can begin, the ship must be tank cleaned and gas free. The time needed for tank cleaning and gas freeing is 8 to 14 days. At present, VLCCs arrive at existing repair facilities in under 8 days from the discharge terminal or must make a substantial devia- tion from normal routes. With the new facility in Dubai, the long ballast voyage from either the Eu- ropean or Japanese unloading ports will allow ample time to com- plete the required tank cleaning and gas freeing en route prior to drydocking. This can save many otherwise wasted days — and a VLCC costs its operators $20,000 to $35,000 per day. The McMullen Report has been reviewed by the American Bureau of Shipping, and it has endorsed the concept and the availability of the market and its determination. In addition, the bureau has indi- cated that it will establish an office in Dubai to provide the necessary surveyors for the implementation of the dockyard services, and it is expected that other classification societies, e.g. Lloyd's Register, Det norske Veritas, Bureau Veritas, will also be represented. The Project In view of the serious world shortage of properly located dry- docks capable of handling the serv- icing and repair requirements of crude carriers of over 175,000 dead- weight tons (VLCCs), Sheikh Rashid has authorized the estab- lishment of the major ship repair facility in Dubai. It will have three (Continued on next page) 14 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
