Dedicated oil rig berth on the cards

Namport is in negotiations with investors to build a dedicated oil rig maintenance quay capable of handling four rigs at a time, as well as a deep sea fishing vessel. This has been sparked by the loss of oil rig business to South African ports because Walvis Bay does not have the capacity for complex repairs or to handle oil rig chains. Christian Faure, the executive for marketing and strategic business development at Namport, says the quay could be extended from the existing small boat harbour. He points out that many of the bigger specialist engineering companies have established a presence in the port of Walvis Bay to serve the Angolan and Namibian oil industries. Those skills are being retained during the lull in rig business by employing them on the mines.