Dedicated harbour tug ‘Koranga’ arrived in Port Moresby in June as part of Pacific Towing’s re-fleeting program. Purchased in Singapore, and then despatched to Indonesia for her first project, Koranga will be soon permanently stationed in Lae. Koranga is one of seven Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugs in the fleet, together with five conventional tugs, and nine work boats.
Lae Port, PNG’s busiest port, is utilised by an increasing number of larger vessels. PacTow General Manager, Neil Papenfus says “having a dedicated harbour tug with the capabilities of Koranga deployed there on a permanent basis allows us to better assist these vessels in terms of safe and efficient berthing and unberthing.”
Koranga arrived in Port Moresby from Singapore on 21 June towing a nearly 55m long barge for sister company Consort Express Lines which she had taken delivery of in Batam, Indonesia. Her crew navigated her expertly through the Java and Flores seas and then the Torres Strait prior to their arrival. The nearly 2,800 nautical mile journey took 25 days which Papenfus says was slightly longer than anticipated due to very strong south easterly winds.
After a brief stay in Port Moresby, Koranga and her crew will shortly be despatched to Lae, where she will singlehandedly be able to assist almost any vessel requiring harbour towage. Nearly 30 metres long, she is one of the largest tugs in PacTow’s fleet. An Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tug, the propulsion system of which makes her more manoeuvrable than conventional tugs, Koranga has a bollard pull of 60 tonnes and brake horsepower of 4,436.
Although PacTow provides a diverse range of services throughout PNG waters and broader Oceania, harbour towage is the company’s core business. Papenfus reports that 2021 saw PacTow vessels involved in more than 3,000 harbour assists across multiple PNG ports.
PacTow assists vessels across a broad spectrum of industries including the oil and gas industry. Much of the harbour towage for oil and gas companies takes place in Port Moresby’s Fairfax Harbour, such as when tankers are discharging. PacTow also provides oil spill response services (mitigation and remediation) for these types of vessels.
PacTow delivers excellent, reliable, and safe marine services through PNG and the broader Pacific. A well-maintained fleet, as well as a dedicated and exceptionally trained team underpin PacTow’s ongoing expansion and success. PacTow is part of a larger sea and land logistics group wholly owned by Steamships Limited.
