Malaysian offshore-vessel operator and shipbuilder Sealink International is going deepwater.

Sealink, which is headquartered in the town of Miri on the island of Borneo, has joined the list of international offshore players that are targeting the growing deepwater sector of the industry, having just launched the first of a pair of 12,000-bhp multipurpose anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels from China’s Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard.

Company officials are hoping the two ships will be the first of many it will eventually build as it looks to broaden its horizons beyond its main market in the shallow waters of Southeast Asia.

Sealink was started in the mid-1970s by Yong Foh Choi. His son, Yong Kiam Sam, now heads the company, which is listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

Initially, the company provided small vessels to the fishing, dredging, logging and mining industries. It moved into oil and gas in 1994 and three years later started building its own ships.

Today, Sealink is one of the larger Malaysian offshore players, with a fleet of 30 vessels divided almost equally between AHTS units, platform-supply vessels (PSVs) and landing craft.

Until now, these have been smaller craft designed for shallow-water operations. Most work in the Malaysian and other Southeast Asian markets but it also has vessels in the North Sea, West Africa and Australia.

The company’s latest pride and joy, the deepwater-capable Sealink 178, represents what chief executive Yong Kim Siang is hoping will become an increasingly important part of its future.

(Source: Tradewinds pg19, 17.08.2012)
Download: Tradewinds pg19