Farstad Anticipates Platform Supply Vessel

Farstad Shipping ASA, through its wholly owned subsidiary Farstad Supply AS, has reached an agreement with Ulstein Shipping AS to take delivery of an offshore supply vessel under construction at Ulstein Verft AS. The vessel is a platform supply vessel of design ULSTEIN P105 for delivery on December 12, 2003. The vessel is a Ulstein-design and will have dieselelectric propulsion system, a length of 86 meters and a beam of 19 meters. The recently approved net wage system for Norwegian seamen was decisive for Farstad Shipping making this investment. At present Farstad has a fleet of 44 vessels, 23 of these are operating outside the North Sea. The company's newbuilding program counts 9 vessel (wholly and partly owned). Six of these vessels are built in Norway. Three vessels are built in Brazil for long-term contracts with Petrobras.