£20M Business Wins for North Star Shipping

North Star Shipping, a division of the family-owned global shipping and energy services firm - Craig Group, has secured in excess of £20 million in new business and the renewal of existing contracts.

The company which provides offshore support vessels to the offshore industry has won a new contract with the largest operator of Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the North Sea. Under the new contract with Norwegian owned Teekay Petrojarl (part of the Teekay Corporation), North Star Shipping will provide emergency response and rescue services using the Grampian Ranger vessel and her crew to support the Petrojarl Banff FPSO in the Central North Sea from 2011 to 2014.

North Star has also renewed a rolling contract with Marathon which will see the Grampian Courageous and Grampian Protector continue to support their operations in the Brae Field. The company’s contract with CNR International in support of the Murchison and Tiffany locations, involving the vessels the Grampian Otter and Grampian Pioneer, has also been renewed on a rolling basis. North Star Shipping owns and operates the largest British wholly-owned fleet engaged in the UK Offshore Industry.

Over the years, North Star’s vessels and crew have saved more than 70 lives in the North Sea and its clients rely on its support for their operations in one of the most hostile environments. This continuous level of support is provided 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, to more than 46 installations. Callum Bruce, managing director of North Star, said: “We are delighted to have secured our first contract with Teekay Petrojarl and are confident this relationship will develop over the next four years.

“Equally, it is very pleasing to have retained contracts with Marathon and CNR with whom we have long-standing relationships. “These awards cement our position as a leader in the provision of vessels to support the UK offshore industry and its employees, as well as showing our commitment to meeting the needs of clients. “Through continuous investment in our people, infrastructure and vessels, we are demonstrating our commitment to them with a service that is driven by safety and quality.”

Craig Group has invested a further £35million in its fleet in the last year, which will see the delivery of four new ‘D-Class’ ERRVs . The first of the emergency response and rescue vessels, the Grampian Don, was recently launched at the Balenciaga Shipyard in Northern Spain with the other three expected to enter service in 2012. This £35million investment follows on from a £130million programme by the Craig Group, which began in 2003 and was completed with the delivery of the Grampian Citadel late last year. The Craig Group fleet, operated by North Star, now stands at 31 vessels.