Tanker, FPSO and Large-Vessel Recycling in Africa: Procurement Guide

Selling a tanker, FPSO or large ship for demolition is a marine project as well as an asset sale. The vessel’s condition, equipment, hazardous-material profile and proposed destination can change the scope substantially. Wigmore Trading helps scope sourcing, procurement and logistics enquiries for Nigeria, Africa and international projects. The named contractor, facility acceptance and specialist delivery package must be confirmed against your requirements.

Start with the asset, not a generic demolition rate

Identify the vessel, ownership authority, flag, current location, dimensions and condition. State whether it is operational, laid up, damaged or subject to a recovery operation. Provide available technical records through an agreed channel after the initial discussion. A supplier cannot establish suitability from a vessel type and a photograph alone. Request an inspection and information-gap schedule before relying on a firm commercial proposal.

FPSO scrapping is different from offshore field decommissioning

A proposal to purchase a floating unit for recycling does not automatically include disconnection, field abandonment, seabed work, removal of production infrastructure or transport to a yard. Ask the asset owner’s qualified team to define these interfaces. Separate completed preparatory work from future obligations. A contractor offering one part of the project should not be assumed to have the authority or capability to deliver the entire programme.

Large-vessel capacity must be evidenced

A yard that can accept a small offshore support vessel may be unsuitable for a very large tanker. Request evidence for access, dimensions, capacity, relevant permissions and the intended work process. Ask which assumptions need surveyor, facility, flag, port or insurer acceptance. Neither an African port name nor a global contractor directory establishes that the proposed asset can be received there.

Hazardous-material work needs competent specialists

The asset dossier should inform the specialist assessment of residual oils, asbestos and other potentially hazardous materials. Cleaning, tank entry and material removal must sit within an authorised professional scope. Do not split out a low-cost preparatory package without checking how it affects the downstream recycling plan and accountability. This buyer’s guide provides no operational dismantling instructions.

Build comparable contractor proposals

Ask every bidder to price against the same responsibility matrix. Separate the vessel purchase, technical assessment, preparation, towage or voyage, receiving-facility work and waste documentation. Require exclusions, subcontractor names, decision dependencies and change-control terms. Compare total net outcome and execution risk, not only the apparent scrap recovery or contractor headline fee.

Plan the compliance review before mobilisation

The IMO ship-recycling framework includes ship-specific hazardous-material inventory and recycling-plan requirements. Qualified advisers should assess its application alongside flag, origin, destination and waste-movement rules. Naval, government and offshore assets may raise additional or different issues, so do not assume the same legal checklist applies to every unit.

Request a specialist disposal procurement brief

Send Wigmore a non-confidential asset summary, the location, your role, desired completion window and the work already defined by your advisers. Tell us whether the enquiry concerns a tanker sale, FPSO disposal, bulk carrier recycling or a multi-asset programme. We can help organise sourcing questions and quotation comparisons, with technical and regulated specialist responsibilities confirmed separately.