Caterpillar propulsion for first Qatari-built liftboat

The liftboat is the first self-elevating unit to be built in Qatar and is under construction at Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) for Gulf Drilling International. Customised for the Middle East and North African region, it will have four legs, be capable of operating in water depths to 65 metres and is being classed by ABS.

“We are expecting more of these specialized types of vessel to be built in the region because of the new exploration work taking place here,” comments Seçkin Uz, md – West Asia for Caterpillar Propulsion, an exhibitor Seatrade Middle East Maritime (SMEM) together with local dealer Mantrac.

Indeed, at the keel-laying ceremony for the liftboat at end-July, N-KOM chairman Eng. Abdullah Fadhalah Al Sulaiti said: “Having already established ourselves in the ship repair market, our next step is to capture the robust regional offshore market by leveraging on Nakilat and Keppel O&M’s expertise to provide quality and value-added offshore solutions.”

‘We at Caterpillar are able to produce complete, customised power and propulsion solutions for specialised vessels,” added Can Volkan Atsuren, Caterpillar Propulsion’s Dubai-based project manager.