Point Tupper Towing, a joint venture between Svitzer and Atlantic Towing Ltd have agreed a long-term towage contract extension with Texas based NuStar Energy to continue tug services at Point Tupper, Nova Scotia.
The contract covers marine terminal support as well as towage services and extends a service first established in 2010 since when Point Tupper Towing have provided three tugs to service the contract.
The ASD tug Svitzer Bedford was built by ASENAV Chile in 2005 and at 32m LOA powered by two Caterpillar engines producing 4,892bhp and 61tbp. Point Chebucto and Point Valiant are two Canadian built tugs from the shipyards of Halifax-Dartmouth Industries (1993) and Ocean Industries Inc (1998) respectively. Point Chebucto has twin Aquamaster Z-drives powered by Ruston engines producing 4,250bhp and 55tbp. The Robert Allen designed Point Valiant is powered by twin Mitsubishi engines driving Niigata Z-drives producing a total of 4,076bhp and 45tbp.
The terminal at Point Tupper Nova Scotia is one of 77 worldwide terminal and storage facilities owned by NuStar Energy including in Europe: Amsterdam and in the UK at Belfast, Eastham, Glasgow/Clydebank, Grangemouth, Grays and Runcorn.
This contract extension will see tugs operating at a facility with 37 tanks and a capacity of 7.555m barrels of crude and oil products. Cargo is handled at two mooring locations capable of accommodating vessels up to 400,000 dwt and is the deepest independent ice-free marine terminal in Atlantic North America.
John Neatby, Operations Manager of Svitzer Canada said: “As with all of our operations, we strive to work closely with our clients. Our primary objective is to provide safe and reliable marine services in an effort to achieve NuStar’s marine operational goals. I believe that our safety and performance measures during the past five years have given NuStar the confidence to continue with Point Tupper Towing and we are excited to be continuing our service.”
By Peter Barker
