Maritime safety and environmental systems manufacturer Martek Marine has achieved a breakthrough first sale in Russia to national oil & gas explorer Gazflot. In another first, Martek’s calibration gases will be used on a pair of jack-up rigs in Yushno Sakhalin rather than on merchant vessels. Gazflot has a fleet of nine vessels including jack-up rigs, icebreakers and research ships. The Russian energy major has also placed orders for six of Martek’s Navgard BNWAS and signed a record breaking six figure system expansion contract.
The sale follows the crucial type approval of Martek’s Navgard by the Russian Register and the appointment of Ian Bennett, an experienced Russian speaking oil and gas industry executive as Martek’s regional sales manager.
Commenting on Martek’s first Russian sale, Ian Bennett says: “We’ve already seen a huge take-up in our systems aboard merchant vessels needing to meet the requirements of SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19, but we’re also now seeing increasing interest from the offshore market. Approved by all the major classification societies, Martek’s Navgard is the easiest, quickest and lowest cost system to install.”
Navgard, which comes with a two-year warranty, uses real-time data logging, providing essential evidence in the event of an incident. Unlike some competitors that use simple key switches, Navgard requires a master password to disable, also noting when the system is switched on and off so that checks can be made to ensure it is being used continuously. When MV Karin Schepers grounded in 2009, the accident report noted that a BNWAS was present but had been switched off by crew. IMO regulations require all ships to fit a BNWAS before July 2015.
Martek’s BNWAS buyers guide is available here and offers useful advice to shipowners looking to install BNWAS.
Founded in 2000, Martek Marine provides equipment and services designed to enable the shipping and offshore sector to meet the latest environmental and safety regulatory standards. The company provides world beating systems for BNWAS, engine emissions monitoring, gas detection, water level detection, and cargo tank monitoring. The company also supplies a specialist marine defibrillator. Martek provides an extensive system servicing and system spares service for customers.
Martek Marine is headquartered in the UK (Rotherham) and has regional offices in the USA and Singapore as well as 44 office strong global network of sales and services offices.
