Universal Africa Lines (UAL), a shipping company known for its specialized services in the oil and gas sector, announced its strategic expansion into Guyana and the broader Latin America region, at the ongoing Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo 2024. The move is huge for UAL, aiming to leverage its expertise and long-standing relationships in the industry to cater to the growing energy sector in Guyana.
Brittany Clark, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UAL AMERICA, told OilNOW about the company’s legacy serving West Africa. “We’re Universal Africa Lines (UAL), and we’ve been sailing ships into West Africa for the past 50 years… we have a lot of the same clients that have started moving into Guyana. So because of the synergies there, it made sense for us to then expand our territory into not only Guyana but into Brazil and the whole South America region,” Clark stated.
Being the exclusive carrier for ExxonMobil into West Africa, Clark said UAL has worked with suppliers known to Guyana’s oil and gas sector, including big names like Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, and Halliburton.
UAL’s expansion is a response to requests from its clients for support in Guyana and a clear need for support given the massive freight movement into the country. “There are regular carriers coming in, but there is so much cargo that they can’t support everything. All of the activities that are happening in Guyana, it’s massive,” Clark exclaimed.
Ameer Hassan, a Guyanese national with a background in shipping and sales, is UAL’s representative in Guyana. “I’m pleased to represent UAL because it’s a step in the right direction. All the stuff that’s going on in Guyana right now, we need more linkages to important points of origin for cargoes coming to Guyana, especially in terms of oil and gas and infrastructure development,” Hassan remarked.
Currently, there is a monthly service offering and multipurpose vessels equipped to handle the specialized cargoes required in the sector.
Marcelo Urbano, the Chartering Director for Latin America, said UAL’s vessels have been operating since last year from John Fernandes Limited’s terminal. “We do have capability to operate in other port terminals,” Urbano said.
He explained that UAL’s ships have berthed at Muneshers Limited’s terminal for specific projects, as well as at the Vreed-en-hoop Shorebase.
Clark, Urbano, and Hassan are attending the Guyana Energy Conference to meet prospective clients and other stakeholders seeking information.
