Category Archives: MARINE VESSELS
Island Performer getting ready to perform in Gulf of Mexico
A naming ceremony was held for the subsea vessel ‘Island Performer’ in Norway on Friday, June 27, 2014.
The Island Performer, owned by Island Offshore, is getting ready its her work for FTO in the Gulf of Mexico.
The vessel is equipped with a large intervention tower over the main moon pool, a 250-tonne AHC Offshore Crane and two deep-sea work ROVs.
With a length overall of 130m, and width of 25m, the vessel can accommodate 130 people.
The Island Performer is particularly developed to suit the scope in the FTO contract in which Riser-less Light Well Intervention and Inspection, Maintenance, Repair are main tasks.
GustoMSC Introduces Its Largest Magellan-Class Drillship
GustoMSC presented the Magellan-class drillship, the next step in deep-water drillship design.
Named after Ferdinand Magellan who was the first sea explorer to circumnavigate the earth, GustoMSC developed the Magellan-class drillship in the explorer’s own tradition of endurance, perseverance and determination. The Magellan is outperforming the current generation fleet with respect to redundancy, autonomy, safety and load carrying capacity.
Advanced new drilling techniques and developments in drilling equipment, together with the growing interest in units that could drill in deeper water and have more operational flexibility and capability, prompted thinking about a new class of drilling vessel. “The design is the result of a specific focus on operators’ requirements. We also received feedback on our existing products and, of course, learn from the industry in general. After the Macondo incident in 2010, for example, there were many recommendations concerning operational procedures and rig design – with an emphasis on safety. We naturally wanted to incorporate that information into the new design,” says Sjoerd Hendriks, Design Manager of the Magellan project.
The Magellan is the largest drillship that GustoMSC has designed to date. The design backbone of the ship consists of the well-established and field-proven principles of its predecessors. The most important step forward is that the Magellan design is equipped for 20,000 psi well-control systems, including the associated increases in capacity, such as high hook loads and setback capacities. Magellan’s ability to accommodate higher pressure, high variable loads, mud volumes and setback capacities and incorporate any type of advanced drilling techniques – such as managed pressure drilling and dual gradient systems, means it is equipped to drill well beyond the current market limit of 12,000 feet.
Press Release, June 16, 2014
Rolls-Royce Secures Deck Machinery Contract for Tugs
Rolls-Royce has been awarded a £19m contract to deliver deck machinery for four ocean going tugs, designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions, for Dutch company ALP Maritime Services.
The vessels will be constructed in Japan by Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair.
The vessels are being developed for towing large structures like oil rigs and floating production units over long distances. The bollard pull for each of the four vessels will be 300 tons and they will be equipped for anchor handling.
John Knudsen, Rolls-Royce, President Offshore, said: “This project is a good example of how our solid industry know-how makes us a partner of choice for innovative ship owners and design teams. The new vessels will place ALP Maritime Services in the elite division for large offshore towing operations across the world.”
The deck machinery delivered from Rolls-Royce will include a complete low pressure winch solution and a stern roller. The towing/anchor handling winches are specially developed in cooperation with the ship designer and owner. The supply of rudder and steering gear is also included in the Rolls-Royce scope.
Intended for world-wide operations, the vessels will be delivered from Japan by Q1 2016. They will be of Ulstein design SX157, developed especially for this project.
Tore Ulstein, Ulstein Group, Deputy CEO, said: “This is a very important contract involving activities in a new market for us and with a new customer. The contract is a result of close cooperation with the shipyard, the ship owner and our partners in the Norwegian maritime cluster, a cooperation we will work to develop further in the years to come.”
Ulstein to Build Its Largest Offshore Construction Vessel Ever
Edison Chouest Offshore and Island Offshore are ordering two new OCV vessels through the company Island Ventures II LLC. One vessel will be built at Ulstein Verft, Norway, one in USA.
Ulstein Verft has been contracted to build a new offshore construction vessel of the ULSTEIN SX165 design. This will be the largest vessel built at the yard so far, as well as its largest single shipbuilding contract. The vessel is scheduled for delivery Q3 2015.
“We are very pleased to develop the next generation of offshore vessels together with Edison Chouest Offshore and Island Offshore. They are companies with solid and extensive experience. We have worked very well together on other innovative projects, and look forward to delivering a high-quality product that will serve the ship owners well for years to come,” says CEO Gunvor Ulstein, Ulstein Group.
“This is a demanding and challenging construction project, which suits us in every respect. We have a solid organisation that will carry out all the engineering work. Our group can offer world-class yard facilities and designs which attract attention from both crews and ship owners. We are ready, and looking forward to the assignment,” says Kristian Sætre, managing director, Ulstein Verft.
First ULSTEIN design in USA
Island Ventures II LLC has also ordered design and engineering packages for the construction of an ULSTEIN SX165 design vessel at Edison Chouest’s own yard in the United States. In addition, this agreement includes options. This will be the first ULSTEIN designed vessel to be constructed in the U.S.
“We look forward to adding these vessels to our fleet. The cooperation between our companies is excellent and we look forward to working with ULSTEIN on the construction of these multifunctional vessels,” says CEO Gary Chouest, Edison Chouest Offshore.
Island Offshore’s current fleet includes four vessels from ULSTEIN. In addition, a construction vessel for Island Ventures II LLC is currently under construction at Ulstein Verft for delivery in June 2014.
Facts about the vessels
The newly developed SX165 design has many qualities. The vessel is 28 metres wide and 145.7 metres long and can accommodate 200 people. She is equipped with two cranes that can lift 400 tons and 140 tons, respectively. She has a large moon pool measuring 11.2 by 12 metres plus two smaller moon pools with ROVs installed in a centrally located hangar. The vessel has a total of three separate engine rooms to provide extreme operational reliability: if a major error occurs and one of the engine rooms goes out of service, the ship will still have two-thirds of her operational capacity.
Health, safety and the environment have been fully considered in the development of this design. For example, the vessel will be delivered in accordance with the international regulation MLC2006 that sets out the comfort and safety requirements for the crew. The ship has four lifeboats, two on each side. In addition, the vessel is equipped with SCR catalyst system for NOx emission reduction.
Press Release, October 25, 2013
MacGregor Provides Subsea Crane for ‘Island Intervention’
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has won a contract to deliver a 250-tonne SWL active heave-compensated (AHC) subsea crane for the 120m construction vessel, Island Intervention. The crane was ordered by Marine Procurement Ltd, part of the US company Edison Chouest Offshore.
An existing vessel operated by the US/Norwegian partnership between Edison Chouest Offshore and Island Offshore requires greater lifting capability; a MacGregor 250-tonne SWL AHC subsea crane fulfils the upgrade requirements. Island Intervention is currently operating in the North Sea for the US/Norwegian partnership between Edison Chouest Offshore and Island Offshore. The vessel works in the offshore construction market and was delivered by Norwegian yard Ulstein Verft in 2011; its current lifting capacity is 140 tonnes.
“The vessel simply needs a bigger crane for the jobs that it undertakes,” says Frode Grøvan, Director, Sales and Marketing for Advanced Load Handling. “The order confirms the trend that we see of subsea modules getting larger and heavier, therefore requiring operators to equip their vessels with ever more capable cranes.”
“At MacGregor, we have the expertise necessary to ensure that retrofit projects like this run smoothly and successfully, with downtime kept to a minimum.”
Related articles
- Huisman to Deliver Well Intervention System for Helix’s Q7000 (mb50.wordpress.com)
Huisman to Deliver Well Intervention System for Helix’s Q7000
Huisman, a Dutch specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions, has secured a new contract from Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. for the delivery of a Well Intervention System onboard Helix’s new build Semi submersible “Q7000”.
The system, which is based on Huisman’s proven Multi Purpose Tower (MPT) design, will be built by the Huisman production facility in China.
The fully integrated 800mt Well Intervention System will be capable of handling the Intervention stack, the high pressure riser and other components. The Huisman Multi Purpose Tower has the same functionality as a normal derrick but offers improved accessibility to the well center, which allows for new improved handling procedures that increase efficiency and safety. The superior accessibility to the well center and the small footprint of the MPT are ideally suited for well intervention and subsea installation services. Subsea equipment can be skidded into the well center from three sides, offering enhanced flexibility.
The active heave compensation hoist system of the MPT provides excellent means for safe landing of equipment at the seabed while the passive heave compensation system provides a safe and redundant means to supply top tension to the risers. A guide trolley, travelling the entire length of the tower, guides the subsea modules during lifting operations. The system also features multiple transfer hatches that can be used to move equipment into the well center, and a skiddable work floor covering the moonpool flush with main deck.
The skiddable work floor allows large subsea modules to be deployed, without the need for a raised work floor. When large objects need to pass the moonpool the work floor can be skidded aside. In closed position, the work floor is flush with the main deck, which significantly reduces HSE risks and improves equipment handling on deck.
In addition to the Well Intervention System Huisman will also supply a 150mt Knuckle Boom Crane and a 160mt Pedestal Mounted Crane. Previous orders from Helix, amongst others, the Multi Purpose Tower onboard the “Q4000”, “Well Enhancer” as well as the cranes for the “Q4000” and “Q5000”.
Press Release, October 09, 2013
Q7000: Helix Orders Semi-Submersible Rig from Sembcorp Marine
Sembcorp Marine’s subsidiary Jurong Shipyard has secured a US$346 million contract to build a second semi-submersible well intervention rig for Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (Helix), a market leader in subsea well intervention services.
Scheduled for delivery in mid-2016, the semi-submersible light well intervention rig will be built based on a design jointly developed by Sembcorp Marine Technology Pte Ltd (SMTP), a fully-owned Research & Development subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine, and Helix. Featuring the latest technology, the rig – named Q7000 by Helix – is an efficient purpose-designed platform with capabilities to perform a wide variety of tasks, including conventional and extended top hole drilling, subsea construction, decommissioning well intervention, coiled tubing operations and twin ROV deployment.
The Dynamic Positioning (DP) class 3 unit has the ability to operate in deepwater operations worldwide, including the North Sea and West of Africa.
William Gu, General Manager of Offshore Division said: “We are honoured that Helix has chosen to build their second semi-submersible well intervention rig with us. This repeat order is significant as it testifies as to their trust and confidence in our design and building capabilities in rigs with well intervention and subsea capabilities that are customised to meet this new growth segment of the market. We are committed to build on our partnership with Helix and to meet their stringent standards of quality, safety and reliability.”
Owen Kratz, Helix’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are pleased to work with our trusted partner Jurong Shipyard on this second unit of the semisubmersible well intervention rig, to be named Q7000.”
The above is not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated net tangible assets per share and earnings per share of Sembcorp Marine for the year ending December 31, 2013.
Gulf of Mexico: Cobalt Hires Rowan’s New Ultra-Deepwater Drillship
Rowan Companies plc announced today that one of its subsidiaries has entered into a three-year contract with Cobalt International Energy, L.P. for the Rowan Reliance, one of Rowan’s new ultra-deepwater drillships currently under construction at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (“HHI”) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. The drillship is expected to operate in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
The Rowan Reliance is expected to be delivered from HHI at the end of October 2014. The contract is expected to commence late January 2015 following mobilization. The effective day rate for the work will be $602,000, including mobilization revenues, and adds $660 million in revenue backlog.
Matt Ralls, Rowan’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are very pleased to enter into this relationship with Cobalt. They have a very exciting growth story with a strong track record in ultra-deepwater exploration. We will complement their growth potential through our expansion into the ultra-deepwater drilling segment with the most advanced drillships in the industry. We are proud to have this opportunity to be part of the future success of this exciting company.”
The Rowan Reliance is one of four ultra-deepwater drillships being constructed for Rowan by HHI. All four drillships are based on a GustoMSC P10,000 hull design, capable of drilling wells to depths of 40,000 feet in water depths up to 12,000 feet. The DP-3 compliant, dynamically positioned drillship will be equipped with retractable thrusters, two readily deployable seven-ram BOP systems, five mud pumps, dual mud systems and a maximum hookload capacity of 1,250 tons.
With the award of this contract for the Rowan Reliance, three of the Company’s four ultra-deepwater drillships under construction at HHI are now under contract. The fourth remaining uncontracted drillship, the Rowan Relentless, is scheduled to be delivered from the shipyard at the end of March 2015.
Rowan, August 6, 2013
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