Australia’s marine services elite
In order to deliver a quality supply of marine vessels in the new century, a company needs to appreciate ancient seafaring traditions, while also providing an ultramodern service that is second to none.
It’s a tough balancing act that Australia Marine Services (A.M.S. Tugs & Barges) has been able to master, delivering superior results to its since 2004 and becoming one of the leading vessels owner/operator in Australia.
Harbouring dreams in oil and gas
With the sea running through his veins and a family background in shipbuilding, managing director Alan Yeo decided to take the plunge and found A.M.S. seven years ago.
The company is one of a growing number of additions to the North-West Shelf oil and gas support industry and, in a rapidly growing sector, has expanded considerably faster than even its closest rivals. It specialises in the charter and sale of a veritable compendium of tugs, workboats, supply vessels and barges. The considerable fleet used in the charter division is comprised of cutting-edge vessels with an average age of less than two years; a figure unlikely to rise in the near future as the rate of newly constructed models accelerates.
The company has offices in Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok as well as its head office in Perth and has also adopted a highly successful policy of recruiting first-class staff locally. Experienced and passionate, the men and women at A.M.S. have combined to design, build and operate vessels that have become some of the most envied facilities around.
Yeo explained the company’s ethos, “A.M.S. is fully committed to providing excellent services to our clients, while offering a vessels chartering operation that is second to none. We have forged a strong relationship with offshore marine companies in order to provide quality and reliable marine packages tailored to meet a variety of needs.”
Projects: Ports and the Gorgon
Since becoming established and gaining a reputation for guaranteeing high quality facilities, the A.M.S. team has been involved in a number of exciting coastal and offshore projects, particularly around the northern coastal areas of Australia, Oceania and the southeast Asian region.
The company is a pivotal part of the Port Botany Expansion Project in New South Wales, which involves the construction of 1,850 metres of wharf frontage. A.M.S. has provided a heavy duty vessel which has become a familiar sight on the east coast for the last two years.
The 35-metre construction barge—called A.M.S. Melbourne—has been equipped with a mighty 150 tonne crane. In addition, an A.M.S. designed/built 59-metre self-ballasting sheer leg crane barge, with a SWL 640 tonne sheer leg crane, has added even greater functionality to the project.
A.M.S. Melbourne has attracted so much interest in Australia that a sister vessel, A.M.S. 1201, was commissioned and has recently arrived in Sydney.
The Chevron-Gorgon project is another major assignment. A.M.S. is responsible for the project’s fresh water transport, using the 76-metre A.M.S. Esperance—a Ballastable deck cargo-tank barge. As the project has advanced, two new 28-metre shallow-draft workboats will be completed and be ready for action imminently.
The company has also finalised another charter contract for A.M.S. Henderson. The formidable vessel will transport heavy equipment for mining companies, over a three year period, providing another example of A.M.S. meeting the Australasian market demand for high-performance vessels.
Still cutting-edge
Other barges that have arrived in 2011 include the 55-metre A.M.S. 1802, a deck cargo Ballastable tank barge that will be operating in the Gladstone project in the Eastern Coastline of Australia. Construction has also just been completed on a pair of 91-metre deck cargo barges—A.M.S. 3001 and A.M.S. 3002. They will be available for sale or charter over the ensuing months. A brand new 16-metre Damen-built Stan tug 1606, A.M.S. Orion, joined the A.M.S. fleet recently in Dampier and is currently paired with the A.M.S. 1802 for long term contracts in Gladstone Project. A second sister unit of the Damen-built tug—A.M.S. Nova will be joining the A.M.S. fleet in October.
Additionally, A.M.S. has under construction two units of shallow-draft workboats—A.M.S. Shine and A.M.S. Swissco—which will be completed and ready for service by first quarter 2012. There are also no less than eight vessels on order and due to join the A.M.S. fleet in the near future.
After such a productive and galvanising few years, Yeo explains why the A.M.S. philosophy holds so much water. “The speed with which we react to market opportunities, with the exactly required vessels, illustrates the advantages of being closely aligned with progressive shipbuilders and having dynamic management style,” he enthused.
“A.M.S. has a corporate philosophy rather than a mission statement, one that spells out what they will do rather than how good they want to make you feel—to provide all clients with the most comprehensive services to meet all their marine support and logistic needs,” he added.
For A.M.S. the last few months have been as glittering as the vessels that joined the fleet. With clients scrambling for its services and many more projects on the horizon it is sure to continue making a big splash.
