September 21 - Fairstar Heavy Transport reports that its 50,000 dwt semi-submersible vessel Forte was floated away from the flooded drydock facility in Qidong, China on schedule, earlier this week.

Willem Out, chief operating officer of Fairstar, reported from Qidong: "the Forte was a magnificent sight as it floated out. Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI) continues to impress us with its commitment to meeting milestones on schedule. All of the major equipment has been installed in the vessel. Most of the piping spools have been fitted and a significant amount of cables have been pulled.

"The Fairstar Site Team will continue to work closely with our partners as we continue towards the start of the commissioning process.

"The formal naming ceremony of Forte will occur after we complete sea trials in April 2012. The ship will play a critical role in the transportation of modules for the Gorgon LNG Project in 2012. We are confident that Fairstar will meet its contractual undertaking to provide Forte on time for Gorgon."

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