CT loses rig repair business to Saldanha

With the Port of Saldanha being positioned as the Western Cape’s oil and gas hub, there’s less likelihood of the familiar sight of rigs being repaired at the Cape Town port. No rigs have berthed at the Port of Cape Town during 2015 and there are no bookings on the cards for the immediate future. Whilst the development in Saldanha does not mean rigs will not be serviced in Cape Town, the focus at present is currently on the multibillion rand project that will grow Saldanha into the country’s oil and gas hub. The economic impact of the oil and gas vessel repair industry is one of the reasons why not only local authorities but also port authorities actively seek this type of business. Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is set to transform Saldanha Bay over the course of the next four years through a R13- billion development project. Being fast-tracked through the government’s Operation Phakisa programme, the goal is to attract as many possible oil rigs to the South African coast through Saldanha, the country’s deepest natural port, by offering a “one-stop” facility. Plans include a 380m long, 21m deep rig-repair berth to service deep-water rigs as well as a jetty of 500 metres where support vessels can be serviced and repaired – all supported through the industrial development zone that is being set up next to the port. CAPTION Developments at the Port of Saldanha Bay have seen fewer rigs taking to South African waters.