Orkney tugs in major Shetland project

Three Orkney-based tugs are in Shetland to assist with a major marine engineering project.

The Einar, Erlend and Harald, operated by Orkney Towage, steamed north from Orkney on Monday, arriving in Lerwick later the same day.

They are due to take part in a commercial charter, playing a key role in an operation involving a large steel oil storage tank.

This has arrived in Shetland onboard the heavy-transport vessel Xiang Yun Kou, which is now at Holmsgarth  in Lerwick.

Local engineering and logistics companies have been engaged to prepare the tank prior to it being taken for installation west of Shetland as part of Premier Oil’s development of the Solan field.

Later this week, the Xiang Yun Kou is due move to an anchorage in the port and ballast down for the tank to be floated off the deck of the vessel. The three Orkney tugs will assist with this complex part of the operation.