Japanese giant K Line has formed a new joint venture to carry out geotechnical survey work after snapping up an Indonesian platform supply vessel.
The shipowner’s K Line Wind Service (KWS), owned with subsidiary Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, has set up EK Geotechnical Survey (EKGS) with contractor EGS Survey in what it says is an under-tonnaged domestic sector.
The 50/50 venture has bought the 3,700-dwt Sri Lankan-built PSV EK Hayate (built 2010), formerly Wintermar Offshore’s WM Makassar.
No price was given, but VesselsValue assesses the ship as worth $16m.
K Line said: “EKGS is determined to provide various offshore survey services to meet growing demand in the sector, which is expected to increase with the development of offshore wind power in Japan and regionally.”
The ship has been converted into a geotechnical survey vessel.
Last month, the EK Hayate entered service as a Japanese-flagged unit capable of providing offshore drilling, sampling and testing.
EKGS has already completed its first survey project for the Happo Town and Noshiro City Offshore Wind Power Project in Akita prefecture.
This was done using K Line’s 4,995-bhp anchor-handling tug supply ship Kaiyu (built 2005).
The survey was supported by companies from both K Line and EGS, and the final data was delivered to the client, OYO Corporation.
Lack of ships
K Line said: “Recognising the lack of supply of geotechnical survey vessels in Japan, a joint-venture initiative was developed with EGS Group, which has a strong global track record in offshore geo-survey.
“By coupling the resources and know-how of both companies, EKGS will participate in the offshore survey sector in Japan and internationally in pursuit of a carbon-neutral society,” it added.
KWS will continue to provide offshore support vessel services to the K Line fleet.
EGS Survey is part of the EGS Group. Founded in 1974, the group has offices around the world, including Asia, Australia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
