Company History

     

Awilco AS was established in 1939. Over the years the company has, either in its own name or in co-operation with joint venture partners, managed and operated crude oil and product tankers as well as dry cargo vessels and car carriers. The company has also operated shuttle tankers in the North Sea.

Being active in the shipping industry, Awilco has in addition been a player in the offshore oil service segment through ownership and involvement in floating production, offshore supply vessels, accommodation rigs and diving support vessels. In 2005 the company established Awilco Offshore ASA, an offshore drilling and accommodation service company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, with eight jackup drilling rigs, three semi-submersible drilling rigs and two accommodation units. In September 2008 the company was sold to China Oilfield Services Ltd. Also in 2005 Awilco established Ocean HeavyLift ASA, an operator in the global market for dry transportation of offshore drilling rigs and offshore modules. The company owned and operated four heavy transport vessels which were converted from oil tankers, and was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2007. Awilco AS sold its shareholdings in the company in November 2008.

Awilco is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Awilhelmsen, a privately owned investment entity located in Oslo, Norway. The main areas of investment in Awilhelmsen are shipping and offshore services through Awilco, real estate development through Linstow, retail and consumer electronics through the ownership in the Nordic retail chain Power, financial investments through AWC and cruise vacations through shareholding in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

1939 : June 5 - Awilco is founded by Anders Wilhelmsen and associates and the company’s first vessel, Segundo - a dry cargo carrier, is aquired and entered into a TC with Continental Grain Co. Inc. of New York.
1941 : August 27 - Segundo becomes a World War II casualty while serving in a North Atlantic convoy.
1947 : Three new vessels – a Liberty ship, Wilfred; a T-2 tanker, Wilchief; and a war- damaged tanker, Wilstar(I) – make up the reborn Awilco fleet.
1955 : Awilco’s first tanker newbuilding, Wilana (I), joins the fleet. Awilco fosters a tight relationship with oil companies, especially British Petroleum, by expanding its tanker fleet through a number of long-term charter arrangements.
1959 : The company re-enters the dry cargo transport segment with the purchase of a second-hand cargo liner; Wiltrader.
1964 : Awilco wins a five-year contract (later extended to eight) from Volkswagenwerke to transport new Volkswagen automobiles from European factories to the United States. Awilco and Anders Wilhelmsen issue stock in a new publically held company, Skips A/S Autotransport, which takes ownership of the car/bulk carrier Wilfred and the Volkswagen contract.
1967 : Delivery of a tanker newbuilding, Wilstar (II) (132,700 dwt).
1968 : Japan’s Nissan Motors contracts Anders Wilhelmsen to transport new automobiles from Japan to the American East Coast. This trade continues for 20 years.
1975 : Anders Wilhelmsen’s contract with Nissan Motors for the trans-Pacific transport of automobiles is renewed and expanded. The new contract allows the Group to order the two largest combined car/bulk carriers in the world from Japan’s Mitsubishi shipyard.
1977 : Anders Wilhelmsen takes delivery of the first of two of its large car/bulk carrier sister ships – Wilnina – from the Mitsubishi shipyard.
1978 : Anders Wilhelmsen takes delivery of Wilnina’s sister ship, Wilmona, from the Mitsubishi shipyard.
1979 : The Anders Wilhelmsen Group enters the North Sea shuttle tank market when it converts an existing tanker into a 155,000 dwt DP shuttle tanker, Wilnora. The vessel enters a seven-year charter to the Norwegian state oil company, Statoil.
1985 : Awilco takes delivery of the product tanker Wilana from Uddevalla.
1986 : The Anders Wilhelmsen Group establishes Wilomi, a joint venture with Ogden Marine Inc. (OMI) – the second largest independent American tanker company. The coalition orders three 145,900 dwt Suezmax tankers from Mitusubishi H.I. – Wilomi Tana, Wilomi Alta and Wilomi Tanana – and three 92,000 dwt Aframax tankers from Dalian Shipbuilding in China – Wilomi Sira, Wilomi Eira and Wilomi Yukon.
1994 : Awilco subsidiary Golar-Nor Offshore obtains a contract with British Petroleum for the floating production storage and offloading vessel Petrojarl Foinhaven.
1997 : Dalian New Shipyard, China, delivers three Suezmax tankers – Wilma Yangtze, Wilana (II) and Wilmina (II) – to the Anders Wilhelmsen Group, forming a basis for a working relationship with Tosco, the largest American oil refining company. The Group’s floating production business is sold to Petroleum Geo-Services while Wilhelmsen retains ownership of three shuttle tankers and charters them to PGS. In addition, Wilma Yukon is converted for North Sea offshore loading for PGS.
2005 : Wilma Yangtze sold.
2005 : Awilco establishes the oil service company Awilco Offshore ASA (AWO) which was involved in drilling and accommodation services. AWO was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in May 2005. In addition, Awilco purchases two Aframax tankers, Willift Eagle and Willift Falcon and converts them into heavy transport vessels owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary, Awilco Heavy Transport ASA (later listed on the Oslo Stock exchange and renamed Ocean HeavyLift ASA - OHL).
2006 : Stocklisting of OHL on the Oslo Stock Exchange in May 2006.
2008 : Sale of shareholding in Awilco Offshore ASA to China Oilfield Services Ltd. in September 2008. Sale of shareholding in Ocean HeavyLift ASA to The Blystad Group in November 2008.
2009 : In October Awilco acquires WilSky, a 2009 built Hyundai HI Suezmax tanker.
2010 : Awilco acquires two semi-submersible drilling rigs from Transocean and establishes Awilco Drilling AS. The rigs are upgraded at Remontowa (Poland), before returning to drilling operations on the UK sector in 2011.
2011 : Awilco acquires three 125.000 cmb LNG carriers from Japanese owners and establishes Awilco LNG ASA. The company orders in May 2011 two 156.000 cbm LNG carriers at DSME in Korea for delivery in August and November 2013. Awilco Drilling PLC is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (Oslo Axess) in June 2011 with the ticker code AWDR. In September 2011 Awilco LNG ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (Oslo Axess) with the ticker code ALNG.  
2013 : The suezmaxes Wilana and Wilmina sold.
2014 : The suezmax WilSky sold.
2014 : Awilco Eco Tankers Holding AS is established which is a 50/50 Joint Venture between Awilco Shipping AS and Transportation Recovery Fund (Wilbur Ross), and has ordered four 299.999 DWT Eco VLCC's at DSME in South Korea.
2016 : Awilco's wholly-owned technical management company Wilhelmsen Marine Services AS changes name to Awilco Technical Services AS.
2016 : Awilco Eco Tankers Holding AS is taking delivery of the VLCCs Eco Leader, Eco Future, Eco Queen and Eco Seas.
2017 : Awilco Container AS established. 100 % owned by Awilco AS. 
2020 : Integrated Wind Solutions AS (IWS) established. 
2021 : Stocklisting of IWS on Oslo Euronext Growth
2021 : The VLCC Eco Queen sold. 
2021 : The VLCC Eco Future sold.
2022 : The VLCC Eco Leader sold.