STX Europe has, through its wholly owned subsidiary STX Norway
Offshore AS, signed contracts for building of three icebreaker tugs
to JSC Circle Marine Invest. The subsidiary company, Caspian Offshore
Construction in Kazakhstan will operate the vessels in the Kashagan
field of the northern Caspian Sea. The vessels will be delivered in
2010 and 2011, and the total value of the three contracts amounts to
approximately NOK 750 million.


"With Caspian Offshore Construction being a new customer to STX
Europe, these contracts are of strategic importance to us. The
Caspian Sea is of great interest to STX Europe, especially the
Northern part where our ice breaking expertise is required" says Roy
Reite, President for STX Europe's business area Offshore &
Specialized Vessels.

The vessels are designed by the STX Europe subsidiary Aker Arctic,
and have a length of 65 meters and a beam of 16.4 meters. The vessels
will have the Ice class notification 1A* Super, according to the
Finnish-Swedish Ice classification rules. Further, the vessels will
be equipped and designed for other operations like fire fighting,
rescue operation and towing in shallow waters.

"The Caspian icebreaker tugs are based on the first Aker Arctic DAS
(TM) icebreakers, having operated for more than 10 years in the
Kashagan oil development.  They are also showing the good synergies
between Aker Arctic and STX Europe", says Mikko Niini, President of
Aker Arctic Technology Inc.


For further information, please contact:


STX Europe Offshore & Specialized Vessels:
Hege Akselvoll
Communications manager
Tel.: +47 91 69 00 51


STX Europe AS:
Elise Heidenreich
VP Investor Relations & Communications
Tel.: +47 95 14 11 47




STX Europe AS (former Aker Yards ASA) is an international
shipbuilding group which aims to be the leading builder of cruise and
offshore vessels. The group has a strong position in terms of
developing state-of-the-art concepts, technology, processes and
products for customers around the world. STX Europe AS comprises 15
shipyards in Finland, France, Norway, Romania, Brazil and Vietnam,
and is also a part owner of three yards in Germany and Ukraine. STX
Europe has approx. 16 000 employees. Formerly known as Aker Yards,
the group changed its name to STX Europe in November 2008.

STX Europe's principal shareholder, the international industrial
group STX, has approximately 40 000 employees and aims to be a global
top player in its core areas; shipping and trade, shipbuilding and
machineries, plant and construction, and energy.

www.stxeurope.com


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