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BUE Kazakhstan Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Renaissance Services SAOG, announced today that
together with its local partner in Kazakhstan, it has
been awarded three prestigious contracts for the
provision of up to fifteen special purpose ice class
barges by Agip Kazakhstan North Caspian Operating
Company N.V. (Agip KCO) in Kazakhstan.
Agip KCO, a company fully owned by Eni S.p.A., is the
Operator of the appraisal, development and future
production operations in the Kazakhstan sector of the
Caspian Sea, including the giant Kashagan oil field,
on behalf of seven international companies and under
the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).
Consortium companies: Eni S.p.A. (Agip Caspian Sea B.V.
- Operator) 18.52%; JSC NC KazMunayGas (KMG Kashagan
B.V.) 8.33%; ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. 18.52%; Shell
Kazakhstan Development B.V. 18.52%; Total E&P
Kazakhstan 18.52%; ConocoPhillips (Phillips Petroleum
Kazakhstan Ltd.) 9.26%; INPEX North Caspian Sea Ltd.
8.33%.
Under the terms of the agreement, initially, four
Cutting Barges, one Mud Barge, one Dry Bulk barge and
two Cargo Barges will commence operations in the
fourth quarter of 2007 and will support the
development by Agip KCO of the Kashagan field. The
vessels are currently under construction in shipyards
in Ukraine, Russia and the U.A.E. and are being built
to ensure year-round operability in icy conditions
that are found in the northern part of the Caspian Sea
during winter periods.
The contracts are for firm periods of ten years each,
with extension options for a further five years. The
initial investment in the first phase of over USD 43
million in the construction of the Barges further
reinforces BUE Kazakhstan’s commitment to maintain its
position as the prime offshore fleet operator in the
north of the Caspian. The potential contract value is
estimated to be in excess of USD 350 million assuming
that all of the contract options are exercised.
The combined Topaz-BUE fleet, owned by Renaissance,
ranks amongst the largest offshore fleets in the
Middle East region with operations in the Caspian,
Middle East and Southeast Asian markets.
Renaissance is a diverse service group listed on the
Muscat Security Market in the Sultanate of Oman with a
primary focus on oil and gas services. Renaissance
also has engineering businesses in oil & gas
fabrication and afloat ship repair; is a leading
turnkey contract services provider; and has successful
technology, media and training businesses.
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