Kawasaki Receives Consecutive Orders of Thrusters for Seven Shuttle Tankers

Tokyo, November 9, 2011—Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has received consecutive orders for thrusters for shuttle tankers to be used in offshore development in Brazil. The orders come from STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. in Korea.

The orders Kawasaki received from STX for two shuttle tankers are for the full package including two controllable pitch propellers, four Rexpeller units, and six side thrusters, while Samsung has ordered five controllable pitch propellers to be utilized as the main propulsion system for five shuttle tankers.

Shuttle tankers are used midstream in the petroleum business to transport natural resources. Shuttle tanker services transport oil from offshore facilities, where it is produced, stored, and loaded, to onshore oil refinery terminals. Also, a shuttle tanker needs to maintain the exact same location when loading, even under severe ocean conditions, such as strong winds and currents. The thrusters will provide high stationary hold performance to meet that requirement. The Rexpeller units that will be delivered to STX are also designed to be retractable during shuttling to prevent underwater drag. Delivery of the thrusters is scheduled for 2012 to early 2013.

Kawasaki has delivered more than 800 controllable pitch propellers, more than 800 Rexpeller units, and over 4,200 side thrusters. These latest orders are a testimony to Kawasaki’s record of successful deliveries backed by superior engineering expertise, as well as the company's well-established system of after-sales service.

As global demand for energy grows and the development of ocean resources expands, Kawasaki will continue to expand its business in marine propulsion systems by pursuing sales of its thruster units for use in shuttle tankers, drillships, and other large-size ships used in the petroleum and natural gas fields.