Colombo Dockyard, the shipbuilder listed on Sri Lanka’s stock exchange, said it has started building a new offshore support vessel for a unit of India’s Greatship.

The keel for the second multipurpose platform supply vessel being built for Greatship Global Offshore Services of Singapore was laid Friday, the yard said in a statement.

The occasion was attended by the owner’s representatives and senior management of Colombo Dockyard and the project team, it said.

The vessel is designed to supply and support the offshore oil and gas field on a twenty-four hour per day basis for operation in unrestricted waters and to undertake multi-purpose roles, it said.

These include transportation of pipes, fresh water, diesel oil, bulk cement, stores, equipment, moving men and materials between platforms and shore, and also engaging in external fire fighting.

The design of the vessel was developed by a Singapore ship design firm, Seatech Solutions International.

The Dockyard statement said the vessel has good maneuverability and station keeping abilities and can accommodate 50 people.

The yard said it has recorded about 18 percent revenue growth this year compared with last year and that its export orders account for over 90 percent of its total revenue.

Colombo Dockyard has built and delivered two tugs for Greatship India and also has two more under construction.