Recycling: One Stop Shop
Ship and offshore asset recycling is a key driving force for the trading markets globally. As these assets begin to age, their expenses continue to rise making them unviable to operate, as they do not cater to the age bracket required for operations. For younger and newer tonnage to take over the business, the old need to be taken of the markets.
When a ship or floating asset reaches the end of its economic life (generally 20-30 years and older), the unit is sold for recycling at one of the five major destinations in the world: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, or Turkey.
The assets are sold or purchased based on their total weight: In the industry, this is known as “Lightship” and so, all dealing’s are done on the basis of the net lightship - with most of the constituent parts being melted down for recycling or re-used as follows:
The ship’s steel is cut into plates, which are re-used in steel and re-rolling mills.
The main engine, generators, and pumps onboard are resold into the second-hand market.
Non-ferrous metals from cables and panels are resold intact or extracted for their metals.
Lifeboats, furniture, galley items and various other reusables are sold to local fishermen and other surrounding communities.
In essence, ship recycling truly helps to extend a ship’s ‘useful’ life well beyond its intended design.
We’re a company that has experience across the entire lifecycle of such a process and are proficient in moving a ship across the seas to a compliant yard and then overseeing its ultimate dismantling and sale for scrap. So whether you’re seeking to decommission and sell multiple assets at once, or just a single vessel, we have the ability to work through everything from the logistics to the final realisation of scrap value. Working across a range of asset values, no job is too big or too small for the team, and we’re not ones to shy away from complex jobs that demand creative solutions either.
As a result, in today’s ship recycling business, companies like ours are key players, as we purchase a vessel for cash from the owners and redeliver the offshore asset to a recycling yard (ship recyclers or 'end users'). As a firm with an extensive network, companies that come to us can be sure that we arrange everything from transportation to the ultimate dismantling and recycling of a ship in compliance with international ordinances and certifications. That’s because, buyers like us are not brokers, but instead, principals who take care of delivery of vessels on both ‘delivered’ and ‘as is, where is’ terms. With experience bringing assets from the most remote corners of the ocean to shipyards for recycling, we have a wealth of experience in making custom transportation requirements that are economically beneficial to all parties involved. We’re not put off by long-layups or the fact that there’s been no activity on board. Rather we’re here to help you get the most value from your asset, no matter how complex the job.
Sustainable Recycling
As sustainability becomes a focus across various sectors, our expertise and experience in recycling floating assets and materials puts us at the forefront of this new circular economy. Whether it be conforming with industry-specific certification or working on a tailored quotation for the recycling of ships and offshore equipment, Star Matrix has the expertise to ensure that the decommissioned assets reaches the right yards and are then recycled in compliance with international norms. Responsible owner’s can be rest assured all compliances and recycling norm’s — such as recycling at any Hong Kong Compliant yard or recycling at yard’s that are Hong Kong compliant with a SOC from either Class NK/ Lloyds Register or EU compliant shall be adhered to during the entire process. In the recent past, we have worked with various owner’s and shipyards that have world- class facilities for recycling and are in compliance with all norm’s required for the process to be undertaken with utmost personnel and environment safety.
A Few Of The Complex Jobs Undertaken
Heavy lift transport of 8 OSV’s from the US Gulf of Mexico – Alang, India
We purchased 5 PSV’s and 3 AHTS from Tidewater Marine LLC in early 2018. The 8 OSV’s were located in Gibson, Louisiana where in the unit’s had been cold stacked for over 2 year’s. The first phase of the project required us to transport these vessels from their current location to the heavy lift loading location which was about 300nm away. The first 90nm were very critical as the AHTS were drawing a draft of 23 feet where in the river that had to be passed had a depth of only 19 feet in the winter, hence we had to use multiple towing tug’s and drag the vessel’s out of the river (soft sand) and then take up to the loading location.
Out of the 8 OSV’s, there were 5 sister built PSV’s. Therefore in order to have a quick load out, we had to secure the 5 sister vessel’s as one block and then use multiple tug’s to load them on the heavy lift together.
Once all the unit’s were secured and sea-fastened the heavy lift ship set sail to Jamnagar, India. On arrival of the heavy lift ship with her cargo, multiple tugs were used to offload them and then anchor them at the anchorage as they had to prepared for the onward journey to the final destination i.e. Alang, India
Wet tow of the first semi-submersible rig for recycling from Malaysia – Alang, India
In 2015 after the crash of the oil market, Diamond Offshore sold to us the Ocean Epoch which was a semi-submersible rig located in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. The rig was cold stacked and made to sit at the bottom for over 2 year’s. She was the first Semi-submersible rig that ever came to the sub –continent for scrapping.
After we boarded our team on board, we re-activated her to use the ballasting systems and then re-float her. The re-floating and towing connection was all completed within 24 hour’s. She was wet towed using a Posh Terasea boat and then successfully delivered to the recycling yard in Alang, India.
Heavy lift transport of 7 OSV’s from West Africa – Alang, India
Tidewater Marine LLC sold to us 8 OSV’s which were located in Abidjan , Tiko and Walvis Bay. From the 8 OSV’s one vessel was sold locally to another buyer by us and we therefore had to transport to Alang, India 7 OSV’s. The same was done on a Heavy Lift vessel with 2 loading ports.
After the heavy lift ship was loaded, she along wit her cargo commenced her voyage to Jamnagar, India. She arrived in the month of May, hence making the discharge a very challenging operation considering the southwest monsoon on the Indian coast was fast approaching. After a safe discharge of all the 7 vessel’s, they were wet towed to their final destination i.e. Alang India.
Dry Transportation of 2 semi’s from the US Gulf to Alang, India
We purchased two semi submersible drilling rig’s in the US Gulf in the month of July 2018 for recycling in India. The rig’s were in a cold layup for about 3 year’s and needed to be re-activated and bought to a floating condition then be towed to the heavy lift loading location. The rig’s had been thru the hurricanes witnessed in the US Gulf, therefore had immense works to be carried out before the re-activation procedure could start. Therefore we took up the re-activation of both rig’s to be able to be bought to transit draft and then finally be loaded on to a heavy lift vessel for the transportation of the rig’s from the US Gulf – Alang, India. The project was done in the below phase’s.
Phase 1
Physical delivery and re-activation of the rig’s to be able to be bought to transit draft.
Preparing the rig for a 350nm wet tow within USA water’s to be taken for loading on to the heavy lift vessel.
Phase 2
Loading of the rig’s on to the heavy lift vessel at a sinkhole.
Lashing and securing of both the rig’s for the long voyage, specially the jack up as the leg’s were at a length of 410 feet.
Phase 3
Offloading the rig’s from the heavy lift in Duqm, Oman
Towing the rig’s from Duqm, Oman – Alang, India for recycling.
Wet tow of a FPSO from US Gulf of Mexico – Alang, India
The merger of Paragon and Noble drilling sold to us the Noble Seillean which was located within USA water’s. The FPSO was originally bought in by the previous owner’s for cleaning of the spill of the Deepwater Horizon but never went to work.
The FPSO was fitted with 8 under keel thruster’s but was not fit for conducting a ocean voyage up to Alang, India under her own power, therefore the decision to tow her was made. The close to 13,000nm voyage was done using a 200T BP tug from Posh Terasea.
Heavy lift transport of Victory class Semi-submersible rig from the US Gulf of Mexico – Alang, India
Diamond offshore sold their semi submersible drilling rig under the name of Ocean Victory, which was a Victory classed rig in the US Gulf of Mexico. The rig was located 30nm offshore and was cold stacked for over one year exposed to weather.
Once our team got on board, we re-activated the rig for use of her ballasting system in order to bring her to transit draft for a safe voyage to the loading location on the heavy lift vessel. The transit draft of the rig was about 33 feet which capped us to use very few heavy lift ship’s as not many have the capacity to ballast down 10m or more for a loadout.
The loading of the rig was done offshore at West Delta 42. Once loaded and sea-fastened the heavy lift ship along with her cargo commenced the voyage to Jamnagar, India. On arrival 3 tug’s were used to discharge the rig after which 2 tug’s of 110T BP each were used to tow the rig to Alang, India.
Dry Transportation of a Jack up and a Semi Submersible MOPU from US Gulf – India
We purchased two rig’s one semi submersible production platform and one jack up rig. Both rig’s had been in a cold layup for almost 3 years. Therefore we took up the re-activation of both rig’s to be able to be bought to transit draft and then finally be loaded on to a heavy lift vessel for the transportation of the rig’s from the US Gulf – Alang, India. The project was done in the below phases.
Phase 1
Physical delivery and re-activation of the rig’s to be able to be bought to transit draft.
Preparing the rig for a 350nm wet tow within USA water’s to be taken for loading on to the heavy lift vessel.
Phase 2
Loading of the rig’s on to the heavy lift vessel at a sinkhole.
Lashing and securing of both the rig’s for the long voyage, specially the jack up as the leg’s were at a length of 410 feet.
Phase 3
Offloading the rig’s from the heavy lift in Duqm, Oman
Towing the rig’s from Duqm, Oman – Alang, India for recycling.
