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SCHEDULED SHIPPING CONNECTION INTRODUCED BETWEEN ABERDEEN HARBOUR AND GULF OF MEXICO

Scheduled shipping connection introduced between Aberdeen and Gulf of Mexico ports.

A new, scheduled trans-Atlantic shipping connection between Aberdeen and the Gulf of Mexico will deliver its first cargo of oilfield equipment to the Scottish port this weekend.

The service, via Antwerp, follows an agreement between Chipolbrok America, Inc., Houston, and the Houston office of Rulewave, a partner of Aberdeen-based shipping agency, Euroline Shipping Company.

Monthly sailings by Chipolbrok from various ports in the Gulf of Mexico will trans-ship cargo via Rulewave's long-established North Sea service ex Antwerp to Aberdeen.

Rulewave's vessel, Merle, will arrive in Aberdeen on Saturday to deliver equipment, including drill and flexible pipe, winches and cable reels, for use by the offshore oil and gas industry in the North Sea.

Euroline Shipping Managing Director, Mike Packer, said: "This is the only service providing a regular connection between the Gulf of Mexico and Aberdeen and gives the oil industry here deliveries to-and-from its doorstep.

"It's also a green route – with environmental benefits and significant savings on hundreds of road miles each time on oil-related cargoes which have, in the past, occurred when cargoes for the North Sea are shipped through ports in England.

"The introduction follows Chipolbrok's success in generating increasing cargo for Aberdeen, and we are confident that the traffic will grow further."

Colin Parker, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Harbour Board, commented: "While the port has ad hoc shipping links with North America, the regular schedule makes this new service particularly welcome and we encourage freight forwarders, the oil industry – and others – to take full advantage."

Rulewave is a Rotterdam-headquartered international shipping and forwarding group. Its North Sea service, which operates three vessels into Aberdeen, is in its 26th year and also provides a weekly route for export cargoes to international markets via Antwerp and Rotterdam.

Chipolbrok America Inc., Houston, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chinese Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company, with headquarters in Shanghai and a branch office in Gdynia. With a fleet of more than 20 modern multi-purpose cargo vessels over 500,000 dwt, it operates services connecting the Far East, Europe and North America.