With additional reporting by Allen Newton
ENGAGE MARINE has picked up its first Northern Territory contract, transferring Engage Outlaw from Wyndham, WA to Groote Eylandt to work on charter to South32’s GEMCO to handle vessels loading manganese ore.
Effective 1 April Engage Outlaw is working with GEMCO’s own tug Yimenda to provide added capability, largely as a result of damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Megan over the weekend of 16-17 March 2024 when the bulk carrier Anikitos could not put to sea and was repeated slammed against the berth and loader, doing very substantial damage. Repairs are still underway.
The contract continues Engage Marine’s focus on bespoke towage solutions, particularly for remote areas and is part of what the group said is a broader expansion strategy, strengthening its service network across Northern Australia.
In a further expansion Engage will provide two additional tugs to Fortescue’s Port Hedland operations, with Engage Renegade and Engage Rascal to be transferred from Sydney in June and September. They will be replaced in Sydney by the newbuilding Engage Maverick, which arrived at the port yesterday from Vietnam.
Engage Maverick, originally ordered by WA-based Mackenzie as Tagon, was delivered on 14 March by the Damen Song Cam Shipyard at Hai Phong, and will be joined in July by a second tug to replace the ASD 2813 Rs.
In mid-January Engage was awarded long-term towage contracts for Townsville (replacing Smit Lamnalco) and Lucinda, Cairns and Mourilyan (replacing Svitzer) effective 1 July. Engage has two Damen 2813s for Townsville, under construction in Vietnam and due for June delivery.
The second of two tugs acquired to service Mourilyan, Engage Ghost, is due at Cairns from Chile on 22 April. It will be joined at Bundaberg by Engage Reaper, which is currently working at Wyndham with the bareboat-chartered Koona (Broome Marine & Tug).
Earlier Engage acquired former BHP Port Hedland tugs, Mallina and Boodarie, with the latter recently completing a drydocking at Henderson, Kwinana and deploying to Geelong, where it frees the former to proceed to The Yard, Brisbane for its own docking. Meanwhile, Engage Vanguard left Whyalla 4 April for its 20-year survey/drydocking at Henderson.
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