Norway-based maritime equipment manufacturer Undertun Industri has signed letters of intent (LOI) with two engineering firms in Malaysia, to support the future servicing of Undertun gangways in the country
The decision to appoint service agents was made to allow local service support for equipment, coupled with travel restrictions caused by the global pandemic.
In west Malaysia, Undertun has signed with Naz Galaxy Group of Kemaman district in Terengganu; and in east Malaysia, PALB Engineering in Miri, Sarawak.
Undertun said the two companies were chosen based on their experience and capabilities in servicing similar equipment, their proximity to offshore oil and gas operations, and past experience in working in the offshore sector.
Naz Galaxy Group director, Commander (Retd) Wan Zulkifli Wan Hassan said “We are delighted to sign this LOI with Undertun and look forward to many years of supporting the Undertun range of gangways, from installation to in-service support, something we are doing for similar equipment today”.
PALB director Daniel Lai said “We see a big potential for these gangway solutions from Undertun in Malaysia and we are very pleased to have been chosen to cover the servicing business in east Malaysia from our base in Miri, one of the key bases for offshore oil and gas development and associated shipbuilding.”
Undertun reported that it sees “strong potential” for its range of gangways, in particular the 12 m and 15 m motion-compensating gangways which are being introduced in the offshore oil and gas sector to replace swing-rope and crane-lifted Billy Pugh baskets.
Oil and gas player Alkahfi Lestari already uses an Undertun 12-m gangway in Malaysia, in operations with ExxonMobil and Petronas. With Petronas planning significant fleet increases over the next few years, including multiple newbuildings as the existing fleet heads towards the 15-year age limit, Undertun said it “confidently expects to see a significant uptick in demand” for its gangways.
The company added “the appointment of these two service agents is a key step to realising this growth and giving Petronas and the Petroleum Arrangement Contractors the confidence to select this technology for the vessels they charter.”
For Undertun, the move into Malaysia mirrors similar recent initiatives with partners in the UAE (M3 Marine Technology) and Australia (Tensa Equipment). Asia Pacific sales are managed from the region, led by Chris Pemberton of CP Maritime based in Perth, Western Australia.
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