Gulf Energy Maritime Takes Delivery of Tanker

Gulf Energy Maritime has taken delivery of the second of 13 double-hulled tankers on order with Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) in less than three months. The $57m Gulf Elan is the eighth double-hulled tanker in GEM’s growing fleet. The company is to receive another 11 of the total order book of 13 ships valued at $590 million by 2009 end. The ship was named by lady sponsor Jane Slemeck, wife of Mark Slemeck, managing director of Kingfish Services Ltd., London-based operators for IPC/Itochu Petroleum which has time chartered the ship for one year. Gulf Elan will follow the trading path of its sister ship, Gulf Esprit, delivered to GEM last November, by going into time charter with Oman Methanol Company, a subsidiary of Oman’s giant Omzest Group, on a 15-year deal. In response to global demand for methanol carriers, GEM in a 75-25 percent partnership with WAROZ Holding Company Limited, an OMZEST subsidiary, had specially ordered the two IMO-III, N2 type 47,000 dwt ships to supply product transportation for its $400m Sohar methanol plant.