Arkiv 2004

Knutsen OAS Shipping AS celebrates 20 years 21.12.2004

Knutsen OAS Shipping AS celebrated this weekend, the 18th of December 2004, that the company has been in business for 20 years.

A contract with Statoil in 1984 started it all. Two shuttletankers was built and operated between the Statfjord and Gullfaks fields in The North Sea, transporting oil. - I´m proud of Knutsen OAS Shipping, and consider it as the main accomplishment of my career, says the main shareholder and founder of the company, Jens Ulltveit-Moe. - During the last 20 years the Norwegian Fleet has shifted towards more sofisticated industrial and specialized ships. The growth of Knutsen OAS Shipping after 1984 coincides with this development. The company has made a significant contribution towards the development within the part of the fleet specializing on the offshore marked, says managing director of the Norwegian Shipowners Association, Marianne Lie.

In the companys hometown, Haugesund, shipping has been the major business for 150 years, and the Mayor, Petter Steen jr look upon the success of Knutsen OAS Shipping as very important to the local community. - The innovation that is taking place within this business is what we must build our future on. Therefore Knutsen is an extremely important company to Haugesund, says Mayor Steen jr. Jens Ulltveit Moe runs his business Empire from a maritim environment at Lysaker,Oslo.

Good HSE performance both on board and onshore 29.12.2004

- All ships of the Knutsen OAS fleet, as well as the onshore organization, are doing a good job within the area of health, safety and environment. These efforts are now giving positive results, says Head of the Health, Safety and Environment department, Lars Erling Hanøy.

The good results are measurable, amongst other through the number of lost time injuries. During a recent conference in Haugesund, this was marked by giving an award to the four ships topping the list.
- For two of the ships, the M/T Turid Knutsen and the M/T Pascale Knutsen, more than 3000 days have passed since the last report of lost time injury, while for the M/T Ellen Knutsen and the M/T Hilda Knutsen it’s 2000 days. However, it’s important to point out that some of the ships are too new to take part in this “competition”. All the ships engage in considerable efforts to improve safety, Hanøy says, emphasizing that the list should not be read as a ”top ten list”.
The HSE Manager tells us that there has been a considerable development within the HSE area both onshore and at sea. Amongst other things, considerable efforts have been laid down to improve and simplify the manuals that the employees have to comply with.
- We have halved the number of manuals, and developed a more practical set of documents. These have now been sent out to the relevant bodies for comment. After we have received all comments it may become relevant to adjust the documents on basis of what appears in this hearing process, Hanøy says.

A part of the safety management is the annual verification of the company’s "Document of Compliance". Det Norske Veritas performs this verification on behalf of the Norwegian flag state (the Maritime Directorate). In order for the certification of each ship to be valid it is a prerequisite that the shipping company at all times has an approved "Document of Compliance".
The inspectors from Veritas recently concluded their inspection, Hanøy says. In order to meet the requirements of the various flag states many inspectors had to be present, so at times it was quite crowded in the Knutsen OAS’ file room.
- The two LNG ships, the Bilbao Knutsen and the Cadiz Knutsen are sailing under a Spanish flag. Spanish authorities do not recognize Det Norske Veritas, but Germanischer Lloyd. Because of this, two inspectors from the German classification society had to be present to verify the inspection made by the Veritas inspectors. In addition to that, an auditor from the International Association of Classification Societies Ltd. was present to monitor the whole process, Hanøy says.

Knutsen OAS Shipping corporate culture is characterized by the individual taking the company motto ”Think First – Act Safe” seriously.
- This helps us not only to attain our business targets, but also targets related to health, environment and safety, says Managing Director, Trygve Seglem.

Space was cramped when the inspectors of classification societies carried out their verification of Knutsen OAS Shipping compliance with current rules and regulations.
From left; Lars E. Hanøy, Knutsen OAS, John Helland and Trond Øvrelid from Germanischer Lloyd, Terje Einarsrud from International Association of Classification Societies, Sam Carsten Aase from Det Norske Veritas and Arne Østenstad from Knutsen OAS Shipping.

Gold medal for long and faithful service 14.12.2004

On 6 December, at the wharf house near the main office of Knutsen OAS shipping, eight Knutsen veterans received the gold medal of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association for long and faithful service. Combined, these eight veterans have served more than 130 years on Knutsen vessels.

The medalists are: Master Karstein Kolbeinsvik (55), Master Johan Sæle (54), Chief Engineer Sigve Grindheim (56), Chief engineer Gilbert O. Nystøl (67), Electrician Vidar Solås (57), Chief Steward Einar Johan Hansen (55), Chief StewardSvein Grønsberg (63) and Chief StewardBernard Flygansvær (58).

The gold medal of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association is a highly coveted distinction, which is awarded to officers and subordinates that have served in member companies of the Association for at least 30 years. A minimum of 20 years must have been earned onboard a ship, and half (15 years) must have been earned working for the same shipowner.


Trygve Seglem handed over the gold medal of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association to the eight veterans at an event held at the wharf house near the Knutsen office on Monday 6. December.
Top row from left: Gilbert O. Nystøl, Svein Grønsberg, Managing Director Trygve Seglem. Mid row from left: Einar Johan Hansen, Karstein Kolbeinsvik, Bernhard Flygansvar. Below, from left: Vidar Solås, Sigve Grindheim, and Johan Sæle.


Karstein Kolbeinsvik signed on for the first time as a deck boy on the “Karen” in 1966. He started working for Knutsen as a radio officer on the M/T Ragnhild Knutsen in 1987. He has been master on a number of shuttle tankers, and is now master of the M/T Siri Knutsen. Kolbeinsvik has a 17-year time of service within Knutsen OAS Shipping.

Johan Sæle started as a deck cadet on the ”Storanger” in 1968. He started working for Knutsen in 1988, first as master of the M/T Hilda Knutsen. He is now master of the M/T Kristin Knutsen. Sæle has a 16-year time of service within Knutsen OAS Shipping.

Sigve Grindheim started out as a deck boy on the “Valhall” in 1964. He started working on the M/T Ragnhild Knutsen in 1987, but was also employed with Knutsen Line for around 2 years from 1979. Grindheim is now chief engineer of the M/T Vigdis Knutsen, with a total time of service of 17 years.

Gilbert O. Nystøl signed on for the first time as a junior seaman on the “Fridtjof Nansen” in 1954. He started working for Knutsen in 1986 as a chief engineer on the “Hanne Bakke”. Later Nystøl served as first engineer, and again later chief engineer on the M/T Anna Knutsen. Nystøl retired in 2001, but has after that served as a substitute on several ships. Grindheim has worked for the company for approx. 16 years.

Vidar Solås first signed on as an electrician on the “Thorshov” in 1973. He then started on the M/T Ragnhild Knutsen, and is now working as an electrician on the M/T Navion Norvegia. Solås has a 17-year time of service within Knutsen.

Einar Johan Hansen started as a galley boy on the “Valhall” in 1966. He started on the M/T Anna Knutsen i 1987, and is now Chief Steward on the M/T Jorunn Knutsen. Hansen has a 17-year time of service working for Knutsen.

Svein Grønsberg signed on for the first time as a steward on the “Rona” in 1968. Grønsberg started working for Knutsen in 1988, then as a Chief Steward on the M/T Ragnhild Knutsen, but he has also worked on other shuttle tankers owned by Knutsen. He took early retirement in 2003, and can now look back on 15 years of service working for Knutsen.

Bernhard Flygansvær started as a deck boy on the “Palma” in 1961. Flygansvær started working for Knutsen in 1987 on the M/T Anna Knutsen, and is now Chief Steward of the M/T Vigdis Knutsen. He has a 17-year time of service within Knutsen.
 
Recipients of the gold medals of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association must have carried out their service to the full satisfaction of the shipowner, and must have displayed good conduct and high morals, both within and outside the service. 

Turnover exceeds 2 billion NOK 21.12.2004

- Knutsen OAS Shipping AS annual turnover for 2004 exceed for the first time 2 billion NOK, and the last year has been the most hectic in the company so far, says general manager Trygve Seglem. - This year we took over 3 new LNG-ships and a shuttle tanker. A new LNG-tanker has been contracted in Korea, 3 ships has been rebuilt from a single to a double hull. One ship has been rebuilt into a shuttle tanker, and M/T Jorunn Knutsen has been upgraded to be able to stay on the Åsgard field for up to 20 years. Knutsen OAS Shipping celebrated in Desember 20 years of operation, and the company has grown steadily every year in turnover, profits and the number of ships. At the end of 2004 we have 32 ships sailing, and have placed orders of 4 new ships, says Seglem.

Managing Director Trygve Seglem.

Co-operation in Canada 21.12.2004

Knutsen OAS shipping AS has signed a co-operation agreement with Canship Ugland Limited. Under the contract Canship Ugland will operate two new Knutsen OAS – shuttletankers that will be delivered from the SAMSUNG Shipyard in Korea during the first half of 2005.

Each tanker is 147.500 Dwt, and will transport oil from The White Rose oilfield on the Canadian continental shelf 350 km east of St. John´s on New Foundland. The White Rose is located in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin, and is operated by Husky Energy Inc. The field contains between 200 and 250 million barrels of recoverable oil in addition to large volumes of natural gas.

Canship Ugland currently operates three Ugland shuttletankers and two tugboats in Canadian waters.

Managing director Trygve Selglem says Canadas oil industry is an important factor to obtain further growth within Knutsen OAS Shipping.

- It is expected that the activity on the Canadian shelf will see a vigorous boost, and Knutsen OAS Shipping wishes to be an activ participant in what takes place outside the coast of Canada in the years ahead, Trygve Seglem says.

Managing Director Trygve Seglem (right at the table) and chairman of the board of Canship Ugland Limited, Sid Hynes signs the contract for co-operation in Canadian waters. Behind (from left) Personell Manager Larry Moore from Canship, Manager Bjørn Bogenes, Tom K. Knutsen and Arild K. Vik from Knutsen OAS Shipping, and Operating Managaer Alan Bell from Canship.

Successful rebuilding of the M/T Siri Knutsen 22.12.2004

Following 40 days of rebuilding this summer at Remontova yard in Gdansk, Poland, the Siri Knutsen has been converted into a shuttle tanker, and is already in full operation carrying oil from fields in the southern part of the North Sea to various oil ports.




























The ship was delivered from Spanish yard Naval Gion 23 June this year, and went straight to Poland for rebuilding.
- The rebuilding has gone smoothly to say the least. Poland is a good country for such assignments. They are reasonably priced, and they do a good job, says Arne E. Østenstad, Knutsen OAS’ inspector during the rebuilding.
The Siri Knutsen will chiefly be transporting oil from the Siri field located in the Danish sector of the North Sea. The field became on-stream in 1999 with Statoil as operator, but is now operated by Danish oil company DONG, with Denerco Oil and RWE.DEA as partners. The crude from the Siri field is stored in a subsea tank under the Siri platform. The tank has a storage capacity of 300,000 barrels. Crude from the Stine field a few kilometers away also flows into this tank.
After the rebuilding into a shuttle tanker the Siri Knutsen will be picking up oil from the storage tank under the Siri platform, and transport it to ports around Europe. The tanker will also serve as back-up for sister vessel the M/T Betty Knutsen, which operates the Hanze and Nam fields in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
- Following a request from the charterer, we also had our KVOC tank system concept installed during the rebuilding. This system prevents the crude from emitting polluting degasses during offloading. The system is installed in every cargo tank on the Siri Knutsen. It’s the very first time that such an installation has been made on this type of vessel.
- Working relations with the employees at the Gdansk yard were excellent. The Poles are skilled people, especially when it comes to steel work. They have a high level of craftsmanship, and can turn around whenever necessary. Their manner is characterized by flexibility and cooperativeness, Østenstad says.

Maritim apprentices choose Knutsen OAS Shipping 21.12.2004

M/T Gerd Knutsen escorted cargo vessel in trouble 15.10.2004

Knutsen OAS Shipping’s Suezmax-tanker Gerd Knutsen helped escort general cargo vessel M/S Black Pearl after the Maltese-flagged ship issued a mayday at 02:00 GMT Tuesday October 12th. Black Pearl ran into trouble off the coast of Norfolk in The North Sea, after her deck cargo of timber shifted, causing it to list twenty degrees.
Yarmouth Coastguard broadcasted a mayday relay, and Gerd Knutsen was among the vessels that responded.
After some of the cargo was jettisoned from Black Pearl the situation became more stable.Gerd Knutsen escorted Black Pearl towards Rotterdam, according to Trade Winds.

Knutsen OAS Shipping has world class environmental- and safety standards 21.09.2004

- Knutsen OAS Shipping AS is among the best in the world, and the Knutsen tankers meets the very strict requirements for environment and safety set by Green Award Foundation.
This is the conclusion drawn by survey manager Ben Metselaar and surveyor Rob den Heijer after two days inspection in the main office in Haugesund.
The crude oil tankers in the Knutsen OAS fleet are all regarded as “clean ships”, and they are entitled to fly the green flag from their mast.
Green Award Foundation is an international enviromental organisation based in Rotterdam in Holland, and the foundation has so far issued Green Award Certificates to 155 oiltankers from 35 different skipowners around the world.
Ten tankers in the Knutsen OAS fleet are among the 155 vessels world wide to meet Green Awards tough demands.

 

Survey manager Ben Metselaar(left) and surveyor Rob den Heijer outside the Knutsen OAS main office.

M/T Jorunn Knutsen returned to the Aasgard-field 03.09.2004

M/T Jorunn Knutsen left for the Aasgard-field the 30th of August after her stay in Haugesund. During the stay at Vetco Aibel Shipyard (former ABB) she got installed a new two barrel swivel that makes her able to recieve cargo from both the Aasgard and the Kristin field at the same time. Production at Kristin-field will start up next summer. A VOC system was installed as well, which combines a KVOC unit and an absorption plant. With this system the ship will meet new environmental requirements from the autorities to reduse the fumes from the cargo with 78 pst.

The vessel did all necessary work required for renewal of class next work. This includes underwater painting and works to be able to operate on the field until 2010.
Since May 2000 the Jorunn Knutsen has been operating as a storage vessel, taking condensate from the Aasgard field. 
The ship has a stern discharge system, and when the Kristin field comes on stream next year, shuttle tankers will load from Jorunn Knutsen on a weekly basis.

Parts of the new swivel is installed.

The Hilda makes a brief call in Haugesund 05.08.2004

Operating between Trinidad and the US 12.08.2004

The Bilbao Knutsen is one of Knutsen OAS' new LNG tankers. Delivered from the Astillero Sestao yard in Spain in January this year, the ship is operating on a long-term charter party with Spanish REPSOL. Under the original plan she was to carry liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Trinidad to Spain.

- These days the Bilbao Knutsen is on her way carrying her eighth cargo. Since the delivery she has been operating between Port Fortin, Trinidad and Cove Point, outside Baltimore, Maryland. The ship has also made a trip carrying cargo to the Andres terminal in the Dominican Republic, superintendent Jarle Østenstad tells us. He has made one trip from Trinidad to the US himself, and says that the ship is operating smoothly. Naturally, as always there are a few items that need to be corrected. The most serious so far has been the replacement of an electric motor.
- However, none of the defects or faults have been of such a character as to delay the ship in day-to-day operations, Østenstad states.
It is because of the good US market that charterer REPSOL has chosen to trade the ship in this marked instead of sticking to the original plans about transporting gas to Spain. According to Østenstad it is a bit uncertain how long this trade will go on, but REPSOL has suggested at least five years to come.

ISPS approval of all ships 12.08.2004

- The Catherine Knutsen was inspected by ABS in Rio de Janeiro on 12th of May, and was approved. However, owing to various formalities the ship did not recive the certificate the same day. The day after, the Turid Knutsen received its certificate onboard, while at Porvoo near Helsinki, Finland, QA Manager Lars Hanøy tells us.
Spring has been hectic for the personnell who are responsible for implementing the ISPC code. The certification process is circumstantial. Initially all ships are evaluated and an assessment report prepared, which describes the action that must be taken in order for the ships to meet the requirements of the "code". With basis in this report the shipping company then draws up a plan stating the upgrading of technical conditions and procedures that has to be made onboard. This report is then submitted to the classification society, or in some cases to the maritime authorities of the flag state, for approval. After the plan has been approved, the implementation efforts may be initiated.

- Following the shipping company's internal audit, the classification society comes onboard to make the inspection, giving its approval by way of a certificate. Knutsen ships sailing under the NOR/NIS flag are certified by classification societies. There are four such societies, with Det Norske Veritas ranking as by far the largest. However, we also have five ships sailing under British flag and two under Spanish. In these countries, the maritime authorities are responsible for the approval and certification, Hanøy informs us.
The fact that there are so many different players has been a special challenge to cope with during the implementation. Another problem has been the difficulty in providing the necessary equipment for the implementation.
- In a situation where all ships needed to get the same equipment, it proved difficult to obtain even relatively simple, standardized things such as e.g. padlocks with master key, log books and different posters. However, everything is now in place and in June all our ships will receive their final ISPS approvals, the QA Manager says. Hanøy adds that he is very pleased with the job performed by crews and his own QA people.
- Hilmar Lund Andersen and Frank Thorsen have more or less been living out of suitcases this spring. They have been working day and night, weekends and public holidays alike, in order to finish the process within the deadline. Without their efforts we would never have made it, Hanøy says. He would also like to commend the officers onboard for a positive attitude and the right co-operative spirit.

New LNG vessel contracted 13.08.2004

In line with the company's venture within transportation of gas, Knutsen OAS has placed an order for yet another LNG tanker. Newbuilding 2236 is to be built at the DAEWOO yard in Korea and will be the sister ship of our two LNG tankers, the Cadiz Knutsen and the Bilbao Knutsen. Construction operations will start early 2005 to be completed already in October 2006. The Korean yard is among the largest in the world. Together with the SAMSUNG and HYUNDAI yards, also Korea, they stand for more than 50 percent of all LNG ships built worldwide.
18 May this year there was a signing ceremony at Knutsen OAS' offices in Haugesund, where the building contract was signed. NB 2236 will become the third ship that Knutsen OAS has contracted in Korea. The DAEWOO yard is situated not far from the SAMSUNG yard, where they are currently building two shuttle tankers for the shipping company, tankers which will be operating on long-term contracts with Canadian Husky Energy.

T.J. Hwang, Vice President Ship Marketing, representing DSME and Managing Director Trygve Seglem from Knutsen OAS Shipping at the signing ceremony for NB 2236 at 18. May.

Pioneer Knutsen - naming ceremony 13.08.2004

The Pioneer Knutsen was christened Thursday 13th of May at the quay at Kollsnes, Hordaland (Norway). It is from this point that the world's smallest LNG ship will carry liquefied natural gas along the rugged coast of Norway. The ship's godmother, Kristi Tveitaskog, sent the bottle against the ship's broadside in the customary fashion. After the ceremony, snacks were served to the guests at the quay, and they were also given a tour of the ship. Present at the ceremony were representatives of the board and management of Naturgass Vest, Bergen, as well as the shipbuilders, the Bijlsma yard in the Netherlands. In the evening there was a reception and dinner for the guests in Bergen.

The champagne bottle is on its way.

Challenge: Multi-cultural communication 12.08.2004

On Thursday 13th of May we spent an afternoon at Auditorium B at the Haugesund College that was both informative and thought- provoking. Knutsen OAS Shipping had invited four representatives from Net Ship to give lectures on Filipino seamen and their culture. The Filipinos communicate in a different manner than Norwegians, and with both nationalities present on the same ships, communication may be a challenge.

- It is so cold here! Leslie has never been to Norway before. She has been employed with Net Ship for three years.  Sally and June on the other hand have worked for the Filipino
company on and off for more than 14 years. Kenneth is another lecturer. He is a Swedish national, but it is obvious that the Philippines lies close to his heart. The representatives of Net Ship and Knutsen OAS shipping gave a four-hour lecture on Filipino culture and communication for the nautical students at the college.

HUMOUR
The fact that so many Filipinos choose the trade of seamanship is no
coincidence. The country boasts long and solid maritime traditions. Filippinos working in the foreign trade are the top wage earners in the country. Therefore, it goes without saying that the Fillipino seaman is eager to hold on to his job. Often he has a large family to provide for, and in the Filipino culture the family plays a predominant role. 
- Even though men traditionally have more liberties than what they give women, they treasure their women highly. They have no problems working under a female manager, but at home they expect their wives to wait on them and look after them, Leslie says with a smile. Laughter fills the auditorium during the brief and humorous description of Filipino men and their women.

ENHANCHED AWARENESS
Joke aside, this is a serious subject. Communication is always a challenge, when two such different cultures as the Norwegian and the Filipino meet, misunderstandings may easily arise.
- The Filipinos are driven by pride, and have difficulties in accepting negative criticism. It is about not losing face - or making other people embarrassed, the lecturers told us.
The purpose of the lectures was to make the future officers aware of the culture gap and its characteristics.
- We want to convey that Filipino seamen often communicate in an entirely different manner. Take body language for instance. A Filipino may smile in situations where most people find it totally inappropriate. If you reprimand a Filipino, he will smile. This is something he does because he is embarrassed and is afraid of losing face. It is not meant as an impertinent gesture, but of course an ill-timed grin may be perceived as such, Leslie said. 
The lecture also revealed that the Filipinos have various ways of saying 'no' - without actually pronouncing the word 'no.' - Where people in the Western world speak plainly, stating things how they are, the Filipino tends to "beat around the bush." In some cases he will say 'maybe' or even 'yes' when he means no.

CONFUSING
The majority of Norwegians are not aware that it is an insult to point to a Filipino's face. Nor do they know that he will never ask you to explain something again if he does not understand what you say. In practical terms this means that he will not obey orders - simply because he has not understood what the order is. 
- The best way of making sure that he has understood the message is to ask him to repeat it, was the advice Sally gave during her lecture.
The Filipino is always polite and he speaks in a mild, low tone of voice. He thinks it is unnecessary of you to raise your voice, and he will feel very uncomfortable if you criticize him in the presence of other people. He has been raised to treat other people with respect, and expects the same treatment himself. It is also his goal to get to know the people he consorts with as well as possible, and he may therefore sometimes appear as a bit pushy with his numerous questions. He adores speaking about his family and his home country.
- A good way of pleasing a Filipino colleague onboard is to greet him in his own language, Sally says. "Hi" is "Kuh-moos-tah".

- When the Filipino smiles at the same time as he raises his eyebrows it is a greeting, too. Filipinos are not very talkative, and they often resort to body language in their communication rather than words. If you ask him about the way, he might just as well answer by pouting his mouth in the direction, Leslie explained.
For Norwegians it may seem strange and rude that Filipinos may accept a dinner invitation out of politeness, even if they have no intention of showing up.
- An even if he does want to say yes, he will expect to be asked at least twice. Only then will he believe that the invitation comes from the heart, says one of the women in Netship.
The numerous and substantial differences in our ways of communication may prove quite confusing, as the team from Net Ship was eager to explain.

GOOD WORKING RELATIONS
Net-Ship has recruited crews for Knutsen OAS for a number of years. How do the representatives of the company look upon this partnership?
- It is working out very well, Sally says.
- And it has become even better over the years, June adds.
The lecture bore witness to a strong commitment. The representatives of Net Ship burn for their mission, to create a larger understanding between their compatriots and Norwegian mariners. They are therefore very grateful to Knutsen OAS for having invited them to come to Haugesund to talk with the Norwegian naval officers of the future.  
- Knutsen OAS Shipping are professional, they take time to listen. We are very proud of co-operating with them, the women tell us. And how do they look upon Norway - and the Norwegians in general?
- Norwegians are warm and friendly people! 
- But perhaps a bit reserved, June wonders. Leslie, who visits the country for the first time, is enthusiastic about the countryside: - Norway is a beautiful country. It is like a postcard!

Photo: June Medel from Net Ship  

The Cadiz Knutsens naming ceremony in Spain 12.08.2004

Master Enrique Lopez Nunez and Chief Engineer Jose A. Calcedo Zamacona at the naming ceremony in of Cadiz Knutsen. The Spanish officers looking foreward to operate the new LNG tanker. 

Tove Knutsen: Successful rebuilding 12.08.2004

From 23th of January to 10th of April the Tove Knutsen was at the Remontova shipyard in Poland, getting new longitudinal bulkheads and a new inner bottom installed. This means that the ship has been upgraded into a double hull ship, and that she now satisfies all international requirements for double bottom construction of oil tankers. At the same time the Tove Knutsen was also upgraded to the DP 2 class.

The Tove Knutsen has a long history in the shipping company. The ship was delivered from the Bilbao yard in December 1989, as the very first ship that Knutsen OAS Shipping let build in Spain. Originally the Tove Knutsen was built as an ordinary terminal tanker, but in 1992 she was converted into a shuttle tanker. In 1994 the ship was rebuilt once again, when an STL (Submerged Loading System) was installed, a system in which the crude is loaded on board through a contact system at the bottom of the ship. The rebuilding was carried out by the UMOE yard in Haugesund. Since then the ship has been operating as a shuttle tanker in the North Sea.
- The rebuilding of the Tove Knutsen was extensive, including the installation of around 2000 tonnes of steel, inspector Egil O.Endresen tells us.

DOUBLE HULL
The cargo tanks on the side were previously single hulled, but had a double bottom. Here new bulkheads have been installed. The new double skin is now Void space.
- Additionally a new inner bottom has been built into the centre tanks, which means that the ship is void space here. Building the double bottom in centre tanks involved considerable work what with the re-arrangement of load lines and the rebuilding of coil heaters and valves, Endresen says. The ship's ballast tanks are as before, but all tanks containing oil are now double-hulled.
- After the hull upgrading the Tove Knutsen now satisfies the latest Marpol 13F for double hull construction of oil tankers. Even though the interior cargo volume has been reduced from 120,000 cubic meter to 104,000 cubic meter, the Tove Knutsen will nevertheless now appear as more attractive in the market. The reduced cargo volume is acceptable in the trade that the ship is now going into, Endresen explains.
The Ragnhild Knutsen was also upgraded into a double hull at the same yard, in November 2003. However, she had a double bottom before, so it was only the slop tanks that received new bulkheads. This meant a less extensive building than what the case is with the Tove Knutsen.

NEW DP CLASS
The operation of the bow loading system and STL has now been moved from the doghouse forward to the main bridge on the Tove Knutsen. A new Kongsberg DP (Dynamic Positioning) has been installed on the bridge, operating the thrusters and propellers on board when the ship is on DP.
- In connection with the upgrading into DP class 2, we have built a new engine room onboard. The room houses the generator which operates the forward azimuth thruster. We have also upgraded the main switchboard and have integrated the new systems with the existing generators, Endresen says. Later the doghouse forward, too, will be removed. The Gdansk shipyard also installed a new KVOC system on board, thanks to which emissions to air from offloading are considerably reduced.

Egil O. Endresen, Superintendent and former Master at Tove Knutsen.

- To our knowledge the rebuilding of the Tove Knutsen into a doubled-hulled tanker is the most extensive rebuilding ever carried out on such a large vessel. Both classification society DNV and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate have approved the rebuilding. All tests performed so far show that the project has been very successful, Endresen states. At the yard, the Tove Knutsen was also subject to a complete inspection of the hull (CAP), with classification society DNV giving her rating 1, i.e. the best quality classification.
Endresen admits that he takes a special interest in the Tove Knutsen.
- I was Site manager during the construction at Bilbao in the late 80s. Later I was her first Master, which means that I know the vessel very well, Egil O.Endresen concludes with a smile.

Carries LNG along the western coast of Norway 30.03.2004

The Pioneer Knutsen sails to Norway today 04.03.2004

The Pioneer Knutsen has been built at Scheepsweerf Bijlsma in the Netherlands, for Knutsen OAS Shipping, Haugesund, Norway and is the world's smallest modern LNG vessel. The vessel is custom-built for the assignment she is going to carry out, i.e. transport of liquefied natural gas from the Kollsnes terminal to users along the western coast of Norway. With a full load, propulsion of the vessel will be by two gas engines, which use evaporated natural gas recovered from the cargo as fuel. In addition, the Pioneer Knutsen has two back-up diesel engines providing extra power when necessary, that may be used for propulsion when the vessel has no cargo onboard. The Pioneer Knutsen is 69 m long and 11.8 m wide, with a depth reaching draft of 3.3 m. The ship has a crew of 6, and enters a 15-year contract with company Naturgass Vest. 

The Bilbao Knutsen is on schedule 11.02.2004

The conversion of M/T Tove Knutsen starts in January 01.01.2004

Knutsen gets two ships built in Korea 04.03.2004

Flags out from Liberian registry 04.03.2004