Under the five-year contract, Lamnalco’s multi-purpose vessel will help tankers during offloading operations and provide field supply for the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO). It will also offer fire fighting, pollution control, maintenance and other ancillary duties.

To be named the Lamnalco Mallard, the high specification vessel is the third of seven such specialist vessels to be ordered by Lamnalco.

The first two of these modern azimuth stern drive (ASD) configured units are on long-term contract in West Africa with Total Exploration & Production Angola, supporting the major Dalia and Girassol field developments, which came online in late 2006.

The Mallard is under construction and due to begin the contract for Woodside in April 2008.

Lamnalco managing director Andrew Wilkinson said the Woodside deal was his company’s first contract in Australian waters.

“As a global leader in harbour towage and port and terminal operations, Lamnalco has identified several strategic LNG and oil export infrastructures in Australia and neighbouring countries,” he said.

“We look forward to offering modern, safe, reliable and cost effective marine solutions to this region.”

Woodside has already contracted a FPSO for the Vincent oil field, where first oil is scheduled for later next year.

Owned by Maersk Contractors, the FPSO is a 330m long, 307,000-tonne tanker, with a storage capacity of 1.9 million barrels, and capable of producing up to 100,000 barrels per day.

It will be located in deep water about 40km north of North West Cape, in Western Australia.

Lamnalco owns a fleet of over 100 modern, purpose-designed harbour towage and terminal support vessels, which operate at 35 separate locations in 15 countries.