Sanko and Hellespont join offshore forces

The Sanko Steamship Co Ltd and Hellespont Group have entered into a joint venture for manning and/or shipmanagement services to Sanko’s and Hellespont’s offshore fleets through their Singapore subsidiaries.

The Singapore-based joint venture company, Sanko-Hellespont Offshore Management Pte Ltd, owned by Sanko Ship Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Hellespont Singapore Pte Ltd on an equal partnership basis, started operations on 7 March, 2011, and is led by Captain Andrew Lidgard of Hellespont, as CEO and Mr Yasushi Hashimoto of Sanko, as Chairman

Captain Lidgard, who has many years of offshore seagoing experience, agrees with Mr Hashimoto that, “A specialised level of experience and the ability to provide and maintain the most experienced crew is vital to success in the growing market for offshore support vessels. This joint venture gives both companies economies of scale in delivering that expertise, and allows us to attract and retain a greater pool of experienced and capable offshore seafarers.”

Initially, the company will provide manning and /or ship management services to four 12,250 BHP Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessels (AHTS) and four 3,250 dwt Platform Supply Vessels (PSV), plus a further four new 16,320 BHP AHTS and four new 4,700 dwt PSV. Some more vessels will enter this Joint Venture during 2011-2012, making a total of about twenty units in all.

The company will be located at 26-12 International Plaza, 10 Anson Rd, Singapore.

Sanko, one of Japan’s oldest shipping companies with its origins dating back to 1935, operates a fleet of 36 owned and 156 chartered vessels consisting of oil, gas and chemical tankers, bulk carriers and offshore support vessels totalling over 18m dwt from its headquarters in Tokyo, with overseas offices located worldwide, including London, New York and Singapore. It also has a crewing subsidiary in Manila. http://www.sankoline.co.jp/


Established in 1946, Hellespont manages vessels from offices in Hamburg, Piraeus and Singapore and has its own crewing company in Manila. Today the group operates a chemical tanker pool and manages a fleet of 26 vessels including crude, product and chemical tankers, platform supply vessels and one bulk carrier. http://www.hellespont.com/

Sanko and Hellespont this year celebrate forty years of business relations during which 36 vessels have been period-chartered by Sanko from Hellespont.

To download a hi-res photo of the Hellespont Dawn or the Sanko Bride, use the download buttons at:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Merlinclients/Hellespont or email john@merlinco.com


For more information:

Yasushi Hashimoto / Andrew Lidgard
Sanko-Hellespont Offshore Management Pte Ltd
+65 6225 4944 yasushihashimoto@sankoss.com.sg
+65 6224 1913 laj1@hellespont.com