Annual Review 2017 www.osjonline.

com

Revised AHTS vessel

schedule reflects
changed market reality

Walk-to-work ship is an
offshore wind and subsea hub

Massive vessel quickly makes its mark

in heavy-lift and pipelay markets

Bibby WaveMaster 1 is a custom-designed service operation vessel intended

to enable operators to work efficiently, safely and in maximum comfort
Stephen Blaikie, chief executive, Bibby Marine Services Ltd, see page 42
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October 2017
Annual Review contents
volume 20 issue 8

36
6 Regulars
5 COMMENT

Heavy-lift vessels
6 In a matter of a few months since entering service, Allseass Pioneering Spirit
has demonstrated its unique heavy-lift and pipelay capability
8 In early 2019 OOS International in The Netherlands plans to take delivery of
the first of a pair of innovative semi-submersible crane vessels
11 DEMEs Orion is one of a number of innovative heavy-lift/decommissioning
vessels on order
12 Boskalis is converting a semi-submersible vessel into a heavy-lift and
decommissioning vessel

Subsea/construction vessels
14 The latest addition to Vroon Offshores fleet provides high-quality
accommodation, equipment storage and ease of access to offshore platforms
14 16 Harvey Sub-Sea is the first of two high-spec subsea vessels for Harvey Gulf
International Marine
17 Far Superior is the product of a design effort by SolstadFarstad and
client Technip
18 Southern Star, Tasik Subseas newbuild, is the product of long experience in
the offshore industry
21 Siem Helix 1 recently started work offshore Brazil under a revised contract
with Petrobras
22 Seven Arctic, Subsea 7s new construction vessel, was designed to install
heavy loads with ease
24 Technips Deep Explorer is based on the design of an earlier unit, Deep Arctic

Dive support vessels

27 Among Australian naval architect Incat Crowthers latest vessels is a custom-
designed dive support unit for a customer in Africa
42
Fallpipe vessels
28 2018 is expected to see a new type of extremely flexible rock installation
vessel enter service with the Netherlands-based Van Oord.

Cablelay vessels
30 June 2017 saw NKT Victoria, an advanced, purpose-built, fuel-efficient and
environmentally friendly cablelay vessel, start work
33 DEMEs Living Stone can handle every aspect of cablelay work

Platform supply vessels

34 Gennadiy Nevelskoy is the first of a class of supply vessels for Sovcomflot

www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review

contents
Anchor-handling tug/supply vessels October 2017
36 Maersk Supply Services new anchor handlers are in a class of their own Annual Review
volume 20 issue 8
Service operation vessels
39 Louis Dreyfus Armateurs newbuild combines a high level of operability, low Editor: David Foxwell
t: +44 1252 717 898
operating costs and logistics innovation
e: david.foxwell@rivieramm.com
42 Bibby WaveMaster 1 is designed to work in the offshore oil and gas and
offshore wind industries Deputy Editor: Martyn Wingrove
44 Acta Marine describes its new SOV as a construction support unit t: +44 20 8370 1736
e: martyn.wingrove@rivieramm.com
47 stensj Rederi has diversified into offshore wind with two service
operation vessels Brand Manager Sales: Ian Glen
t: +44 7919 263 737
Renewables service vessels e: ian.glen@rivieramm.com

48 Damen recently delivered an offshore workhorse specifically intended for Sales: Indrit Kruja
the renewables industry t: +44 20 8370 7792
e: indrit.kruja@rivieramm.com
Seismic survey vessels Sales: Colin Deed
51 Having taken delivery of Ramform Hyperion, PGS has completed its t: +44 1239 612384
newbuilding programme e: colin.deed@rivieramm.com

Head of Sales Asia: Kym Tan

Mining vessels t: +65 9456 3165
52 The diamond mining vessel Nujoma is based on a well-known offshore e: kym.tan@rivieramm.com
vessel design Sales Asia & Middle East: Rigzin Angdu
t: +65 6809 3198
Infield support vessels e: rigzin.angdu@rivieramm.com
53 July 2017 saw the first examples of a new class of support ship an infield
Sales Southeast Asia & Australasia: Kaara Barbour
support vessel or ISV mobilise to go to work with Shells Prelude floating t: +61 414 436 808
liquefied natural gas unit e: kaara.barbour@rivieramm.com

Crewboats Production Manager: Ram Mahbubani

t: +44 20 8370 7010
55 Pacific Kestrel was designed to compete with helicopters as a crew e: ram.mahbubani@rivieramm.com
transport solution
Subscriptions: Sally Church
t: +44 20 8370 7018
Logistics vessels e: sally.church@rivieramm.com
56 Rotra Vente is part of a cost-saving logistics solution introduced by Siemens
Wind Power Chairman: John Labdon
Managing Director: Steve Labdon
Finance Director: Cathy Labdon
NEXT ISSUE Operations Director: Graham Harman
main area report: Middle East Head of Content: Edwin Lampert
communications Executive Editor: Paul Gunton
Head of Production: Hamish Dickie
diving services and equipment
Business Development Manager: Steve Edwards
dynamic positioning
ocean-going towage Published by:
subsea market Riviera Maritime Media Ltd
Mitre House
66 Abbey Road
Front cover: Maersk Supply Service has taken delivery of the first two of its new Enfield EN1 2QN
Starfish-class anchor-handling tug/supply vessels UK

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LOGISTIC SUPER-SHIPS WILL
DISPLACE SUBSEA SUPPORTERS
P
utting together this Annual Review issue of OSJ has
been quite an eye opener. Firstly, because although it is
tempting to think that a downturn might not see much
innovation, there are actually a lot of very interesting
vessels of all types that have come to market in the last 12 months
or are due to shortly. Secondly, because there are also some quite
clear trends, including new heavy-lift/decommissioning units
such as Bokalift 1 from Boskalis, Orion, DEMEs new vessel, and
OOS Serooskerke and OOS Walcheren for OOS International
not to mention some extremely high-spec cablelay/trenching/
fallpipe vessels and a number of highly-specified subsea vessels
ordered before the downturn but only now entering the market.
Another important trend highlighted this year is that several
vessels are dual-purpose units, capable of working in the offshore
oil and gas and offshore wind industries. This is important
because, through the downturn in the offshore oil and gas
industry, subsea vessels have found much-needed work in the
walk-to-work market, supporting oil and gas projects and offshore
wind projects. However, some of that work might dry up if many
more custom-designed vessels of the type described in this issue
are ordered. Older vessels simply cant compete. They werent
designed and built with walk-to-work work in mind. What these
older subsea vessels cant offer either sector is the kind of focus
on logistics, stepless transfer and workflow that the new ships
can. The new-generation walk-to-work ships are designed from
the outset for offshore workability and the ability to provide safe
transfer of people and cargo. They have the kind of optimised
logistics, accommodation and connectivity that a decade-old
subsea vessel simply doesnt have. They also have purpose-
designed storage areas for containers and winches that can move
heavy equipment around within them.
David Foxwell
Editor
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
COMMENT | 5
As Acta Marine put it when describing its new vessel, all of
the accommodation areas were designed with the idea that rested
personnel are productive personnel. On this particular vessel,
the gangway is integrated with a height-adjustable tower and
a lift for personnel and cargo. The lift will take them from their
accommodation or work area straight to the gangway, which also
has a trolley system for equipment. Take Bibby WaveMaster 1, which
has already won contracts in the offshore oil and gas industry and
offshore wind markets. It also has a height-adjustable gangway
and elevator for 100% stepless access. Windfarm technicians or
oil and gas maintenance personnel can directly access the ships
gangway from warehouse areas. One of the drivers behind the
design of the vessel was that the space inside is carefully planned
in terms of storage, workflow and logistics to ensure that movement
of both people and equipment is optimised. Ergonomic design sees
the interior spaces grouped together into similar task areas. This
ensures short lines of communication and eases workflow. Then
theres Louis Dreyfus Armateurs new service operation vessel.
This particular vessel is aimed exclusively at the offshore wind
market, but theres a lot about it from which offshore vessel owners
can learn. It really is a ship of superlatives, with a hybrid diesel-
electric propulsion system combining diesel engines and batteries,
a walk-to-work gangway and the first example of a new motion-
compensated crane with groundbreaking anti-sway technology.
The new vessels are far more capable than a subsea vessel
with a crane and an access system bolted to the deck. Owners
in the oil and gas supply chain should take note. Depending on
the level of demand in the offshore wind industry, I would expect
these new-generation ships to displace some of the older vessels
from the walk-to-work segment in the offshore wind and offshore
oil and gas markets. OSJ
Click here
for more editor's
comment videos
6 | HEAVY-LIFT VESSELS

MASSIVE VESSEL QUICKLY

MAKES ITS MARK IN HEAVY
LIFT AND PIPELAY MARKETS

The huge size of Pioneering Spirit is clear in this image of the

vessel on its way to undertake pipelaying for TurkStream gas pipeline

M
HAVING UNDERTAKEN ITS INITIAL HEAVY-
LIFT PROJECTS IN THE NORTH SEA LAST
YEAR, ALLSEAS PIONEERING SPIRIT
RECENTLY BEGAN TO DEMONSTRATE
THE OTHER ASPECT OF ITS INCREDIBLE
CAPABILITY WHEN IT STARTED
PIPELAYING THE DEEPWATER SECTIONS
OF THE TURKSTREAM GAS PIPELINE
uch has been made of the importance to the
decommissioning market of the cost-effectiveness of
single-lift vessels (SLVs), with Allseas Pioneering Spirit
being the prime example.
Analyses of that market suggest that new-generation SLVs
will play a major role in reducing costs, in many cases, making
decommissioning projects feasible. As one recent study by Douglas-
Westwood noted of the role of SLVs, a huge amount will depend on
the success of early removal projects.
However, large-scale decommissioning projects dont yet occur
with sufficient regularity to keep a vessel such as Pioneering Spirit
permanently employed. Hence, the vessel has two roles, also
operating as a pipelayer with an S-lay tension capacity of up to 2,000
tonnes, installing the heaviest and largest pipelines in the industry
and doing so at a very high lay rate compared with other vessels.
The first heavy-lift project that this unique vessel undertook
lifting the Yme topsides on behalf of Repsol in the North Sea was
completed in August 2016, but in June 2017, it started working on
quite a different sort of project, pipelaying on the deepwater sections
of the TurkStream gas pipeline.
Other heavy-lift vessels able to undertake single lifts of massive
offshore structures have been proposed, but for the time being at

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com


least, Allseas new vessel is a ship unlike any other, able to single lift
topsides of up to 48,000 tonnes and jackets up to 25,000 tonnes. The
vessel, which has a wide slot at the bow that fits around platform
substructures, is equipped with a hydraulically operated topsides
lifting system. For installing or removing platform jackets, the vessel
has a system of two tilting lift beams at the stern.
Prior to the development of the SLV concept, installation of
large offshore platforms was generally carried out by crane vessels,
and large topsides have to be installed module by module in order
to ensure that the lifts remain within the capacity of the cranes.
This can lead to considerable offshore hook-up costs to complete
the topsides. However, if a topside can be installed with a single
lift, hook-up costs can be significantly reduced. Moreover, if a
topside structure is completed on land and then installed in one
piece with all of the structural, electrical, hydraulic and piping
work done on land the whole process can be executed much more
quickly and efficiently.
Equally, removing large topsides using conventional crane
vessels requires the topsides to be removed module by module or
by time-consuming, hazardous and expensive dismantling offshore,
piece by piece. When removing topsides in this way, every module
must be cut loose from the surrounding modules, lift points must
be reinstalled and lift rigging must be attached. Platform walkways,
escape routes and safety plans must be adjusted several times during
the removal process. Several make safe campaigns are required,
offshore and onshore, and at an early stage, accommodation facilities
will have to be removed because they are located on the outside
of the structure and will no longer be available to the crew sent to
dismantle the unit.
Another important feature of the single-lift vessel concept is
that, whereas removal of jackets by conventional techniques requires
them to be cut up into small sections, Pioneering Spirit can remove
jackets in their entirety and subsea work to the foundation piles is
minimised. Moreover, working in this way increases the economic
value of the topsides and jackets once removed, because they remain
intact, driving down conversion and refurbishment costs for reuse.
With Pioneering Spirit, therefore, Allseas has transformed
installation and decommissioning projects and will significantly
reduce the amount of offshore work associated with platform
installation and decommissioning, shifting the work onshore
where it is safer and more cost-effective. As Allseas founder and
the man behind the single-lift vessel concept, Edward Heerema,
Pioneering Spirits primary role is
lifting very large structures, as shown here
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
HEAVY-LIFT VESSELS | 7
has often affirmed, very large lifts can substantially reduce offshore
hook-up costs during topsides installation, just as during topsides
decommissioning, single lifting can make laborious module
removal unnecessary.
Installation of large, integrated topsides using the float-over
technique was proposed in the 1970s and has been used on a number
of occasions on a number of projects but only in benign waters. In
the Gulf of Mexico, Versatruss successfully used single-lifting with
an innovative system of large frames on two barges, but only in calm
water. Large, semi-submersible crane vessels such as those owned
and operated by Heerema and Saipem have successfully carried out
integrated lifts of up to 12,000 short tons (11,000 tonnes) with two
cranes, but again, only in very favourable weather conditions.
Before commissioning the design and construction of the new
unit, Allseas analysed in detail a number of large platforms in
order to verify the capability that would be required of the vessel
and to develop viable solutions for lifting and lowering structures,
transporting them and skidding them ashore.
Gravity-based topsides, for which the leg spacing fits the slot on
the vessels bow, can be lifted with pods fitted in the clamps of the
topsides lift system. Platforms with a leg spacing of up to 51 m can
be accommodated. Only a few of the widest gravity structures and
jackets currently found in the North Sea do not fit Pioneering Spirits
bow slot. The topsides of these platforms can be removed modularly
using the tilting lifting beams.
Capable of sailing under its own power at a high transit speed
and equipped with a dynamic positioning system and a motion
compensation system developed inhouse by Allseas, Pioneering
Spirit is the only vessel in the world capable of working in more
hostile environments such as the North Sea and will do so at
unprecedented speed. The vessel also has light ice class, which
will extend the period of time during which it can operate in the
regions prone to ice. As Allseas also highlights, the units extreme
dimensions will also ensure that it is an especially stable platform,
with wave response behaviour that will be superior to semi-
submersible crane vessels.
In keeping with the units massive size, the machinery on board
the vessel is also unique, being based on eight main diesel generators
providing a total installed power of 95 megawatts providing power to
a total of 12 azimuth thrusters. Underway, the huge vessel will have
a maximum speed of 14 knots and will provide accommodation for
more than 570 people in two-berth cabins. OSJ
8 | HEAVY-LIFT VESSELS

SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE HEAVY LIFTERS

WILL BE ECONOMIC AND
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

In early 2019 OOS International in The

OOS Serooskerke and sister
Netherlands plans to take delivery of vessel will be capable of tandem
the first of a pair of innovative semi- lifts of up to 4,400 tonnes

submersible crane vessels intended for

heavy lifting projects worldwide

T
he semi-submersible
lifters, OOS
Serooskerke and
OOS Walcheren, are
under construction at China
Merchants Heavy Industry
in Jiangsu, Chin and have a
number of interesting features
such as a brace-less design and
asymmetric pontoons that will
enable them to reach a speed
up to 12 knots. A steel cutting
ceremony for OOS Serooskerke
took place in June 2017 and
a steel cutting ceremony for
OOSWalcheren is due to take
place in a few months.
Leon Overdulve, founder
and owner of Holding OOS
International Group BV, said
each of the new vessels will
be fitted with two heavy-lift
cranes with a combined lifting
capacity of 4,400 tonnes when
working in tandem. The heavy
lift cranes will be provided by
Huisman Equipment and will
be utilised for decommissioning
structures in the offshore
oil and gas industry, and for
installation of foundations,
moorings and platforms for
offshore wind structures.
OOS said the semi-
submersible crane vessels will
combine hotel and heavy lift
capability. The company said
the technical and commercial
benefits of this approach have
already been proven with its
first unit of this type, OOS
Gretha, which is working for
Petrobras in Brazil.
The dynamic positioning
(DP) class 3 crane vessel/
accommodation unitswill
have a huge open deck which
will be reinforced to take
large pieces of equipment. Mr
Overdulve said the new semi-
submersibles will also be very
green vessels with SCRs for
exhaust gas cleaning, ballast
water treatment systems and
ENVIRO-OS (environmental
protection offshore plus from
classification society ABS ) and
green passportclass notation.
In keeping with their role as
heavy-lifters the newbuilds will
have a fast, air-driven ballast
system for use when handling
loads and will provide subsea
construction and subsea support
to a water depth of 3,000 m.
Another important feature
of the semi-submersible
hullform is that it will provide
excellent motion characteristics.
Others include the fact that the
new units will, the company
claims, have lower operating
costs than other similar designs,
and use around 25% less
fuel in DP and transit than
comparable designs.
Kongsberg Maritime has
been awarded contracts to
supply integrated ship systems
for the heavy-lifters. The
contracts, worth more than
US$62Mn, include supply and
integration of the electrical,
communications and integrated
control systems for OOS
Serooskerke and OOS Walcheren.
The contracts also include
project management, interface
management and engineering
services at all stages of
construction of the semi-
submersibles.The company
will supply switchboards,
frequency converters,
automation, navigation and
DP systems, as well as radio
and satellite communications.
Other elements of the contract
include networking and
onboard entertainment,
safety technology and
monitoring systems such
as an environmental
monitoring system.
More recently Mr
Overdulve has also started a
new company, OOS Drilling
BV, which plans to make use of
another new vessel type, OOS
Luctor et Emergo, which will he
said would have new features
providing significant benefits
to operators in the offshore oil
and gas sector.
With this vessel, OOS
Drilling plans to focus
on the growing offshore
decommissioning market. Well
plugging and abandonment
is the most expensive part of
decommissioning, not only in
terms of technical complexity
but also the time required," he
told a recent conference. It
is our aim to facilitate faster,
easier and more cost-efficient
solutions for dismantling old
platforms. OSJ

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com

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LNG-FUELLED HEAVY-LIFTER
IS DESIGNED FOR DECOMMISSIONING AND INSTALLATION
D
EME, whose subsidiary
GeoSea has become a well
known provider of installation
services in the offshore wind
industry, is one of a number of companies
to have ordered a construction vessel
capable of decommissioning and installing
offshore structures.
The companys new vessel, Orion,
is being built at COSCO in China for
delivery in 2019. Although primarily
intended as an installation vessel for the
offshore wind industry, it will also be able to
undertake decommissioning projects in the
offshore oil and gas sector.
With a total installed power of 44,180
kW, Orion will be equipped with a
high-capacity crane with lifting capacity
of 5,000 tonnes at more than 35 m. The
crane will be able to lift loads to a height
of more than 170 m. Deck space on the
vessel has been maximised to provide
exceptionally high transport and loading
capacity. At 216.5 m long, Orion will be
a dynamic positioning class 3 vessel with
accommodation for 131 people.
The vessel can take the heaviest
monopiles, jackets, wind turbine
components and structures in a single
shipment, said DEME. With this
unmatched combination of high load
and lifting capacity, Orion can transport
and install the next generation of multi-
megawatt wind turbines.
Environmental considerations have also
been an important element in the design
of the vessel. Orion has dual-fuel engines
and can run on conventional fuel or LNG.
The vessel will have a green passport and
clean design notation. It will also have
other environmental innovations on board,
such as a waste heat recovery system that
converts heat from the exhaust gases and
cooling water to electrical energy.
GeoSea managing director Luc
Vandenbulcke said With Orion, we
will be uniquely positioned to meet the
future requirements of our customers
and the trend towards larger capacity
turbines and bigger windfarm projects,
delivering energy at lower costs. Orion
will be capable of installing mega
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
DEME GROUPS
NEW INSTALLATION/
DECOMMISSIONING VESSEL
WILL BE THE FIRST OF
ITS KIND TO BE FUELLED
BY ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY LIQUEFIED
NATURAL GAS
monopiles in greater water depths. With
DP3 technology, the installation vessel
can continue operations under the most
challenging conditions.
Offshore crane manufacturer Liebherr
is to supply the crane for the installation/
decommissioning vessel. It will be the
largest crane developed by the company
to date. It will be built at Liebherrs plant
in Rostock, Germany. Delivery will be
spring 2019.
It is a great honour to work with
both DEME and COSCO (who will
build the vessel) on such a revolutionary
project, said Liebherr Offshore Cranes
sales director Gordon Clark. We see a
promising future in the heavy-lift sector,
with growth in both the green energy
sector and offshore decommissioning.
The extension of our heavy crane range
Due to be delivered in 2019, Orions crane will have
a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes at 35m that can
HEAVY-LIFT VESSELS | 11
allows us to compete in a sector with only
a few players where there has been little
competition of late, and we look forward
to winning some of that market share,
said Liebherr Maritime Cranes' managing
director Leopold Berthold.
Apart from the main crane, the deal
also includes two of Liebherrs RL-K
4200 knuckleboom cranes and an offshore
crane simulator.
Wrtsil is to supply engines and other
propulsion machinery for the newbuild. In
addition to the dual-fuel engines, Wrtsil
will also provide its LNGPac fuel storage
and supply system and propulsion systems.
The decision to utilise clean-burning
LNG fuel is based on our commitment
to provide environmentally sustainable
solutions for our operations, said Jan
Gabriel, head of the newbuilding and
conversion department at DEME.
The vessel will be powered by four
9-cylinder Wrtsil 46DF dual-fuel electric
propulsion engines and two 6-cylinder
Wrtsil 20DF dual-fuel engines.
Wrtsil will also supply two custom-
made retractable thrusters, four underwater
demountable thrusters and the Wrtsil
LNGPac storage and supply system and
is also responsible for commissioning, site
supervision and project management services.
The equipment is due for delivery to
the yard building Orion in the latter part of
2017. OSJ
lift loads to a height of more than 170m
12 | HEAVY-LIFT VESSELS
Converted semi-submersible
will have lifting capacity aplenty
In recent years, Boskalis has successfully built a position in the
offshore oil and gas and offshore wind industries, and a vessel it is
currently converting will add to its capability in both sectors
A
s highlighted previously in
OSJ and in our sister journal
OWJ, a number of companies
have ordered vessels targeting
the growing market for ships capable
of decommissioning offshore oil and
gas platforms and installing extra-large
monopiles and jacket foundations for
offshore wind turbines.
Self-propelled jack-ups have tended to
undertake a lot of foundation and turbine
installation work to date, but for the installation
of foundations for new-generation, larger
turbines, large monohulls rather than jack-ups
seem to be becoming more popular, if recent
orders are anything to go by.
Back in 2012, A2SEA, the well known
owner-operator of foundation and turbine
installation vessels, was developing
a new installation vessel with Teekay
Corporation. A2SEA got as far as sending
out specifications to shipyards to obtain
pricing for the project, which was based on
the conversion of an oil tanker rather than a
jack-up vessel.
Ultimately, A2SEA didnt press ahead with
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
Bokalift 1 will be
able to work in the
offshore oil and
gas industry, and
in offshore wind
the plan, but two well known owners have
now done so. One is DEME Group, which
has ordered construction of a large monohull
installation and decommissioning vessel,
Orion, which is profiled elsewhere by OSJ. A
second example is Bokalift 1, which, strictly
speaking, is not a newbuild at all, being a
conversion of one of Boskaliss F-class semi-
submersible heavy lifters, Finesse.
However, such is the nature of its change
of role that it qualifies for OSJs Annual
Review issue in which we look at many of
the new vessels currently on order or that
have been delivered in the last 12 months.
The new vessel for Boskalis will combine
the 3,000-tonne lifting capacity revolving
crane with a deck area of 165 m x 43 m and a
dynamic positioning class 2 (DP2) capability.
Like Orion, it will be used to install
jackets and monopiles for offshore wind
turbines and to remove obsolete oil and
gas platforms and transport. Boskalis says
it could also be used to transport and
install certain types of newbuild oil and gas
production platforms.
Having DP2 will mean that the vessel
will not rely on the installation of an anchor
spread. It will have accommodation for 149
people and a helicopter deck for offshore
transfers. Delivery is expected at the
beginning of 2018. The conversion work is
being undertaken in Singapore at Keppel
Shipyard. A sister vessel is also scheduled
for conversion into another 3,000-tonne
capacity crane vessel.
Bokalift 1 will be capable of lifting 3,000
tonnes at a radius of 28 m and 1,200 tonnes
at 50 m. The load a heavy-lift crane can
lift is important, but so too is the height to
which it can lift a load. Using its main block,
the crane on the vessel, which is being built
by Huisman, will be capable of lifting a load
to 90 m above deck at a radius of 30 m and
99 m at a 35 m radius.
The 216 m long vessel has a breadth
of 43 m, moulded draught of 13 m and
operating draught of approximately 8.5
m. The deck will be strengthened to 25
tonnes/m2.
The machinery takes the form of four
3,840 kW Wrtsil engines and two 4,800
kW Bergen engines with a 1,110 kW auxiliary
engine from Wrtsil. Bokalift 1 will have a
ballast capacity of 2 x 1,500 m3/hr and an
anti-heeling system with a capacity of 8 x
2,000 m3/hr. The vessel will have a transit
speed of 14 knots.
In decommissioning mode, the vessel
will position itself using its DP system
and cut the legs of a jacket between the
topside and the jacket. It would then lift
the topside onto its deck. The vessel will
also have the ability to deploy an internal
cutting tool, which will cut the legs of the
jacket below seabed level, after which it
will lift the jacket onto its deck and depart
for a disposal yard where it would offload
the topsides/jacket using its own crane.
In foundation installation mode for the
offshore wind market, the vessel would
load itself with jack or other types of
foundation using its crane and, having
arrived at the location of the windfarm,
would lift the foundations and stab them
into place on pre-installed pin piles. OSJ
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14 | SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS

WALK-TO-WORK SHIP
IS AN OFFSHORE WIND AND SUBSEA HUB
THE LATEST ADDITION TO VROON OFFSHORES FLEET COMBINES A STABLE, HIGHLY
MANOEUVRABLE PLATFORM WITH HIGH-QUALITY ACCOMMODATION, ONBOARD
EQUIPMENT STORAGE AND EASE OF ACCESS TO OFFSHORE PLATFORMS

J
uly saw Vroon Offshore
in the Netherlands hold a
naming ceremony for VOS
Start, the first of a new class
of subsea/walk-to-work vessels
that was purpose-designed
and built to support offshore
operations in the renewable
energy industry and walk-to-
work projects in the offshore
oil and gas industry.
VOS Start started work
for MHI Vestas Offshore
Wind in August, providing
offshore logistic support,
accommodation and walk-
to-work services during
construction of the Walney
Extension offshore windfarm.
A sister vessel, VOS Stone,
has also now been delivered
to Vroon by Fujian Southeast
Shipbuilding in China, the
same yard that built VOS Start.
Vroon Offshore has been
active in the subsea support
vessel market since 2000 and
has gained experience in a
wide range of operations and
projects. Its subsea support
vessel portfolio is based on
vessel designs developed by
the companys performance
and engineering department,
reflecting client specifications,
market requirements and
substantial inhouse offshore
experience. With VOS Start
and VOS Stone, the company
was aiming to meet the
expected increase in demand
for offshore transfer solutions.
The vessels offer
accommodation and work
space for up to 60 client
staff (special personnel) and
provide 750 m2 of clear deck
space that can be fitted with a
walk-to-work offshore access
system whilst leaving ample
space available for a variety
of extra services. In addition,

The design on which VOS Start is based provides high-standard accommodation, work space, a 750m2 clear deck and access system

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com


VOS START
IN BRIEF
Hotel-type comfort and
service (total 87 beds)
Client entertainment
systems
Client office, library, gym
and cinema
Dedicated client
generator and 10 m2 client
workshop
Extensive client email
and data-communication
facilities
260 m2 clear deck area
190 m2 covered
warehouse
Dynamic positioning
class 2
Compliant with
SPS Code
Fuel-efficient
Motion-compensated
offshore access system
500-tonne active heave
compensated crane
Optimised hull
characteristics
Optimised
anti-rolling tank
Improved seakeeping
Two super-silent
tunnel bow thrusters
(one retractable)
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
the vessels can be equipped
with workboats and heave
compensated davits.
Based on a design from
Khiam Chuan Marine (KCM),
VOS Start and VOS Stone are
dynamic positioning class 2
(DP2) units that comply with
the Special Purpose Ships
(SPS) Code regulations.
Working closely with Vroon
Offshore and KCM, the Force
Technology Design Institute
helped the Dutch owner
to optimise the vessels for
efficient fuel consumption,
whether sailing or in DP mode,
and for onboard comfort for
client personnel.
A number of walk-to-work
vessels have been delivered
since OSJs 2016 Annual
Review issue, but few bring
together so many innovations
and so flexibly combine
the ability to transport and
accommodate personnel and
equipment and provide access
to offshore structures.
Since the vessel was
delivered, much attention
has focused on the motion
compensated Barge Master
BM-Gangway system and
active heave compensated
crane and a 50-tonne capacity
crane from SMST with active
heave compensation, but VOS
Start has many other features
worthy of attention.
Containers holding
equipment used offshore by
windfarm personnel are housed
on board in a warehouse area,
within which remote-controlled
trolleys are used to move
items of heavy equipment
around. There is also a fully
covered workshop that can
accommodate six containers.
The elevator that takes
windfarm technicians up to
the level of the walk-to-work
gangway also services the
warehouse, main deck level
and the gangway.
The accommodation on
board takes the form of 49
single cabins and 19 double
cabins, all built and fitted out
to a high standard. There is a
SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS | 15
VOS Start combines DP2, efficient fuel consumption in free
sailing and DP mode and onboard comfort for client personnel
50-person mess room, large,
fully equipped clients office with
what the owner describes as
an urban feel and appearance,
a conference room/cinema,
fully equipped gym and
24/7 broadband on board
thanks to a Ku-band satellite
communications system.
With a hydrodynamically
optimised hullform tested by
Maritime Research Institute
Netherlands, VOS Start has a
high level of manoeuvrability,
with a total of three bow
thrusters, one of which is
retractable. The vessel has
boat landings aft and on the
starboard side of the vessel
that enable crew transfer
vessels to work with the ship
and to be refuelled from it.
Designed to have a high
moment of inertia and low G
forces, the vessel also has
an anti-roll tank to further
reduce rolling motions. The
motion-compensated gangway
is installed at the centre of
rotation of the vessel.
As highlighted above, VOS
Start is the first application of
the BM-Gangway, which was
developed by Barge Master
and Bosch Rexroth. Unveiling
the motion compensated
gangway to the press in June
this year, Barge Masters chief
executive Martijn Koppert
explained that the gangway
will be mounted on a pedestal
with an integrated elevator
used to transport both people
and pallet trolleys from ship
deck and levels below to the
level of the gangway.
Bosch Rexroth sales
manager offshore projects
Boy Biermans said the
gangway has telescopic
sections that allow its
length to be adjusted by an
electrically powered winch.
This next-generation
gangway is equipped with
extremely fast sensors and
control technology, he said.
Because of this, the
system is able to compensate
for wave heights of up to 3
m, resulting in an operating
window that can be up to
four times higher than other
available systems in the
market, making it unique.
Vroon Offshore Services
newbuilding superintendent
Foppe Molenaar told OSJ
Continuous access is what
makes this system unique
compared to conventional
offshore access systems.
"It ensures safe and
efficient transfer of
personnel whatever the sea
conditions. OSJ
16 | SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS

Jones Act subsea ship can

compete with all comers
The latest addition to Harvey Gulf International Marines fleet is a high-spec subsea
vessel that the company believes is the equal of any similar ship anywhere

I
n early to mid-2017, debate raged about proposed changes equipped with a 250-tonne heave-compensated knuckleboom
to the Jones Act that would have had profound implications crane with 1,200 m of wire. The cranes winch is below deck,
for the offshore support vessel market in the Gulf of Mexico expanding its lifting capacity and enabling loads of 107 tonnes to
and for international owners whose vessels operate there. be delivered to water depths of approximately 3,500 m.
Putting aside the highly contentious and sometimes Harvey Sub-Sea has accommodation for 150, all in one or
acrimonious debate about what the effect of the changes might two-person cabins, 13,000 ft2 of deck space and a 7 m x 7 m
have been in other sectors of the deepwater market in the Gulf moonpool. The vessel has a S61 (Heavy) Helideck and meets
of Mexico, owners of Jones Act construction vessels stood to ABS DP2, SPS Code and MLC 2006 certification requirements,
gain from what would have been a de facto ban on international among others. The ships moonpool is strengtheneding around its
vessels in the region. perimeter, enabling subsea handling equipment to be fitted there.
Prior to the downturn in the industry brought about by the The vessel is fitted with a deck with a rating of 10 tonnes/m2. This
steep fall in the oil prices, owners of Jones Act vessels invested vessel truly demonstrates Jones Act vessels are here and ready
heavily in light and medium construction vessels and inspection, for service, said Mr Guidry.
maintenance and repair (IMR) vessels for which, sadly, there is little Speaking recently, Mr Guidry also noted that, at a time when
demand currently. other vessel operators are stacking vessels and reducing fleet size,
Jones Act owners in the US argued that, given the growth Harvey Gulf continues to secure long-term contracts for vessels and,
of the Jones Act fleet of construction/IMR vessels, the need for is taking delivery of new vessels and of vessels reconfigured for
foreign tonnage has all but disappeared and that there would be subsea services. In May 2017, it signed long-term contracts for the
little or no adverse impact on operations in the Gulf of Mexico MPSV Harvey Intervention, fast supply vessel (FSV) Harvey Hustler,
were Jones Act-qualified ships to replace the foreign fleet. FSV Harvey Runner and FSV Harvey Express. The charters followed
Among the US companies that stood to benefit from the Harvey Gulfs recent agreement with Delta Subsea to outfit Harvey
proposed change in the interpretation of the Jones Act was Harvey Steeler, which was in layup, to provide remotely operated vehicle
Gulf International Marine, which has invested heavily in recent and survey services. OSJ
years in a high- spec fleet of supply ships and construction vessels,
several of them powered by environmentally friendly liquefied
natural gas (LNG), Harvey Gulf being the first vessel owner in the US
to opt for LNG, as OSJ has several times highlighted.
April 2017 saw the company take delivery of the first of two
multipurpose support vessels (MPSVs) scheduled for delivery to it
in 2017. On taking delivery of the vessel from Eastern Shipbuilding,
Harvey Gulf highlighted the fact that the ship, Harvey Sub-Sea,
is a Jones Act-qualified unit thatit has the technical capabilities
to efficiently, effectively and safely perform high- quality field
development activities currently being performed by a foreign fleet.
Harvey Sub-Sea has the size, crane capacity, deck space,
accommodation, equipment and station-keeping capability
equivalent to, or better than, its her foreign competitors, said
Shane Guidry, chairman and chief executive of Harvey Gulf.
Harvey Sub-Sea can undertake a broad range of subsea
installations and removals, inspection, maintenance and repair and
provide flotel services, said Mr Guidry. It can be equipped to lay
umbilicals and cables and undertake well- intervention and hydrate Harvey Subsea-Sea is the first of a pair of high spec Jones Act
remediation operations. subsea vessels that Harvey Gulf International Marine ordered from
The vessel is 100 m overall with a breadth of 22 m and is Eastern Shipbuilding

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com


Long-term
charter ensures
employment
for offshore
construction ship
The downturn in the market has seen a number of new subsea vessels laid up
SolstadFarstads Far Superior is not one of them, thanks to a long-term charter with
Technip, who were also involved in the design and specification of the vessel
S
olstadFarstad tookdelivery of the light construction/IMR
vessel Far Superior (a VARD 3 17 design) from Vard Group
on 8 March 2017. Construction was undertakenby Vard
Vung Tau in Vietnam. Having been delivered, the vessel
commenced work under a long-term framework agreement with
TechnipFMC Norgefor a firm period of five years and up to five
years options.
Far Superior was purpose-built for TechnipFMC Norge to
conduct light construction work, inspection, maintenance and
repair (IMR) and other subsea-related activities in up to 3,000 m
ofwater. The vessel has an overall length of 98.1 m, beam of 21.5 m
and deck area of 875 m.
The ship was the last vessel that Farstad had on order and the final
vessel that it had ordered as part of a drive further into the subsea
vessel sector prior to the steep downturn in the market following the
fall in the oil price starting in 2014. Long-term financing for the vessel
was arranged by Danske Bank, DNB, GIEK, Sparebanken Mre and
Swedbank with funding provided by Eksportkreditt Norge AS.
Farstad, now part of the massive offshore support vessel mega-
company SolstadFarstad, had a fleet of more than 60 vessels
prior to the merger. In July 2015, it had taken delivery of another
subsea/construction vessel, Far Sentinel, a Vard 3 07 from Vard
Langsten a sister vessel to Far Sleipner, which is also the subject
of a long-term charter deal with Technip.
The newly-delivered Vard 3 17 design was developed
especially for subsea and IMR operations. It was designed to be
arranged for two work-class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)
and has a 150-tonne active heave compensated offshore crane.
The vessel was designed by Vard Design in lesund, Norway,
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS | 17
in close co-operation with Farstad and Technip, who will use the
vessel for ROV support operations, light construction work, IMR
and other subsea work.
Vard describes the 3 series vessels, of which the 3 17 is
an example, as subsea construction vessels designed with a
focus on good stationkeeping and excellent manoeuvrability
and seakeeping characteristics. The design allows for flexible
configuration with respect to the different operations that the
vessel may be outfitted and arranged for, typically subsea
construction and installation, IMR, flexible pipelaying, well
intervention and dive support (although the latter do not form part
of the roles currently assigned to Far Superior).
Far Superior has a maximum draught of 6.6 m and deadweight
of 4,200 tonnes. With a deck area of 875 m, the vessel has a 7.2
m x 7.2 m ROV moonpool. The deck is strengthened to 10 tonnes/
m and to 15 tonnes/m2 aft of frame 41. A 26.1 m diameter helideck
suitable for a 15-tonne Sikorsky 92 is fitted. The vessel has
capacity for 1,900 m of fuel oil, 1,000 m of potable water, 2,900
m of drill water and 800 m3 of MEG.
The main crane has a safe working load of 150 tonnes at 15 m
and 3,000 m of wire. Placed on the starboard side of the vessel,
it is complemented by a deck crane with a safe working load of 3
tonnes at 15 m.
The main engines provide a total of 15,667 bhp and are fitted
with catalytic converters to reduce emissions. Manoeuvrability
is enhanced by an azimuthing bow thruster and a conventional
tunnel thruster forward. The vessels fuel consumption at
economic speed(12 knots) is 17 m/day, and consumption at
service speed(13 knots) is 22 m/day. OSJ
18 | SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS
DP3 SUBSEA SERVICE SHIP
IS THE PRODUCT OF LONG EXPERIENCE
J Claimed to be the most advanced
une 2017 saw the newbuild subsea
vessel Southern Star (originally to be
named Tasik Toba) commence a
six-year bareboat charter, an increase of
a year on the original deal for the vessel,
with options for extensions.
Singapore-based Tasik Subsea is led by
John Giddens, a former diver who many in
the industry will remember as the founder of
Hallin Marine. Mr Giddens sold Hallin Marine
to Superior Energy Services in 2010. He is
partnered in Tasik Subsea by Mike Meade,
managing director of M3 Marine.
Mr Giddens company supervised
the build of the vessel at Fujian Mawei
Shipbuilding Ltd in Fuzhou, China, at its
Culu Island shipyard, and worked very
closely with the charterers believed to be
Fugro to ensure they have a technically
advanced, cost-effective vessel. The
design was developed for Tasik Subsea by
naval architect Focal Marine.
Describing the genesis of the design
and the charter it has won, Mr Giddens,
Tasik Subseas managing director, said
The market is difficult with economic
challenges at every tier, no one needs
telling that, but by working to ensure the
operator has an outstanding and reliable
vessel that can be operated competitively
Southern Star is understood
to have been taken on a long-
term charter by Fugro
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
IACS-classed dive support
vessel built in China for export,
Southern Star is the product of a
company led by individuals who
know the dive support and subsea
markets well
and flexibly, both parties could see the
economic sense in extending the charter
period from five to six years in exchange
for adjusted rates during some of the firm
charter period.
The 112 m, dynamic positioning class
3 (DP3), saturation/air dive and remotely
operated vehicle vessel is said to be the
most advanced International Association
of Marine Contractors-classed dive support
vessel built in China for export and complies
with the latest codes of practice and
industry safety standards.
The ship, which has two moonpools,
has a 300 m-rated, 15-man saturation dive
system with two self-propelled hyperbaric
lifeboats and has a 150-tonne, active heave
compensated crane. The hangar for remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs) can house two
deepwater, construction-class units.
The vessels diesel-electric propulsion
system was supplied by ABB, with Voith
thrusters providing additional capability
including active roll compensation.
Southern Star is one of a growing
number of references for Voith Schneider
thrusters, which, in addition to active roll
compensation, have the benefit of fast
response time, improved positionkeeping
and low maintenance costs. They are
complemented by Rolls-Royce bow thrusters.
Mr Giddens and Mr Meade describe
Southern Star as a vessel capable of but
not limited to inspection, maintenance
and repair, and installation of subsea
umbilicals, flowlines and risers, along with
light and medium construction, deepwater
intervention, saturation and air dive support
and ROV support.
The offshore crane is a 150-tonne SWL
3,000 m knuckleboom subsea crane with
active heave compensation. Southern
Star also has a helideck for fast transfer
of crew and operating personnel and can
accommodate 120 people.
With a length overall of 112 m, Southern
Star is 96.60 m between perpendiculars,
with a moulded beam of 24 m, moulded
depth of 9 m and design draught of 6.5 m.
The vessel has a service speed of 12 knots
and deadweight of approximately 4,500
tonnes with 1,000 m2 of deck space, which
is strengthened to 10 tonnes/m2.
The diesel engines in the diesel-electric
machinery take the form of a quartet of
2,500 kW units plus a 1,100 kW generator.
The main propulsors highlighted above are
a pair of 2,500 kW Voith Schneider units.
The bow thrusters are a pair of super-
silent tunnel thrusters, complemented
by a retractable azimuth thruster. The
vessel bears the class notation ABS, A1(E)
Offshore Support Vessel, (DSV SAT, ROV
Capable, CRC, SPS), ACC, ENVIRO, DPS-3,
GP BWT, UWILD. OSJ
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 SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS | 21

Wide beam design combines riser-based

intervention with well construction capability
The first quarter of 2017 saw Helix Energy
Solutions Groups Siem Helix 1 light well
intervention vessel finally start operations
offshore Brazil on contract to Petrobras

C
ontract
commencement
for Siem Offshore's
new well
intervention vessels followed
the completion of extended
contract negotiations with
Petrobras, Brazils state oil
company. The negotiations
were needed to amend terms
for contracts for Siem Helix 1
and sister vessel Siem Helix 2,
both of which were contracted
and ordered before the
downturn in the offshore oil
and gas industry following the
steep fall in the oil price.
When Siem Offshores well
intervention vessels were
ordered, the oil price was still
above US$100/barrel. All that
changed after July 2014, when
the price began its steep fall,
leading Petrobras, which is
using the vessels on long-
term deals, to renegotiate the
agreement for the ships with
Helix Energy Solutions, which
is chartering them from the
Norwegian owner.
The contract for Siem Helix
1, originally scheduled to begin
no later than 22 July 2016,
was amended to commence
between 22 July 2016 and 21
October 2016, and the day
rate under the contract was
reduced to a level acceptable
to both parties. The contract
for Siem Helix 2, originally
scheduled to begin no later
than 21 January 2017, was
amended to commence
between 1 October 2017 and
31 December 2017, and the
day rate for this contract was
not changed. As it eventually
turned out, Siem Helix 1
actually started work for
Petrobras somewhat later even
than the amended contract
negotiations suggested. Siem
Helix 2 is now expected to
commence operations in Brazil
in Q1 2018.
Siem Helix 1 and Siem
Helix 2 were ordered by Siem
Offshore from Flensburger
shipyard in Germany on the
back of a deal that would see
the Siem Offshore-owned ships
chartered by Helix for an initial
period of seven years, with
options that can extend the
charter periods up to 22 years.
Under the terms of that
deal, Siem Offshore was
also to provide marine
management, including
crewing, for the two vessels,
which are based on the Salt
307 WIV design from Salt Ship
Design. Helix was to provide
the topsides and manage
the integration of the well
intervention equipment onto
the vessels, having entered
into agreements with Petrobras
to provide well intervention
services offshore Brazil for an
initial period of four years with
options to extend.
The Salt Ship Design
vessels have an overall
Siem Helix 1 started work
offshore Brazil earlier this year;
sister vessel Siem Helix 2 will
start work early in 2018
length of 158 m and were
built in compliance with the
requirements of classification
as mobile offshore drilling units
(MODUs). Purpose-designed
as well intervention vessels,
they are capable of all aspects
of riser-based, through-tubing
well intervention operations as
well as emergency response
and well construction.
Siem Helix 1 and Siem
Helix 2 are stable, wide beam
vessels (31 m) combining
exceptional operational
capabilities with enhanced
stationkeeping. Both vessels
have an intervention tension
frame, offline maintenance
tower and deck skidding
system, which optimise well
operations whilst reducing the
need for lifts across the deck
and eliminating man-riding
from well-centre activity.
They are classed as Well
Intervention Unit 2 vessels and
can operate in water depths
up to 3,000 m. They have a
transit speed of in excess of
12 knots and are thus capable
of providing service quickly
and efficiently where needed.
They have a deck loading
capacity of 6,000 tonnes, a
main offshore crane with active
heave compensation of 250
tonnes at 14 m (supplied by
NOV) and an auxiliary crane
with a capacity of 60 tonnes
at 18 m. The vessels also have
a hangar for ROVs and two
launch and recovery systems.
Siem Helix 1 and Siem Helix
2 also have an 8.0 m x 8.1 m
moonpool and accommodation
that meets ILO MLC 2006/
MODU/SPS 2008 standards
for a total of 150 people.
Given the energy-intensive
nature of the work they carry
out offshore, electrical power
is important to the design.
The main generators provide
25,360 kW in total.
Kongsberg was contracted
to supply a wide range of
equipment including all of the
key navigation, positioning and
automation technology.
Osbit Ltd in the UK,
which was responsible
for the blowout preventer
maintenance and storage
tower, ITF and movable deck
equipment. OSJ

www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review

22 | SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS
HEAVY CONSTRUCTOR
CAN INSTALL LARGER
COMPONENTS WITH EASE
SUBSEA 7 BELIEVES THE LATEST
ADDITION TO ITS FLEET OF PIPELAY/
CONSTRUCTION SHIPS IS SUFFICIENTLY
CAPABLE TO DO THE WORK OF SEVERAL
CONVENTIONAL VESSELS
S
even Arctic, Subsea 7s new vessel, was designed to address
the growing operational challenges for subsea construction
in ultra-deep water and hostile environments. It is the first
vessel of its kind in Subsea 7s already highly specified fleet
and combines an adaptable tiltable lay system that is suitable for
use in different water depths with an immensely capable crane that
has several modes of operation that can be selected according to the
Seven Arctic was designed for worldwide operations, is
adapted for both tropical and cold water environments,
and capable of operations in water depths up to 3,000m
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
scope of work. Its versatility provides clients with more options than
older vessels, such that the company believes it can undertake work
that would have required two or three older less-capable units.
This is a vessel that will be equally at home operating in the
Gulf of Mexico, North Sea or west coast of Africa, said Subsea
7. The preliminary design of the vessel was conducted jointly with
Wrtsil Ship Design, and detailed design and construction was
completed by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea. It is equipped
with a 600-tonne Huisman vertical pipelay system, a 7,000-tonne
underdeck basket for storage of flexible pipe/umbilical and a
newly designed, 1,000-tonne rope-luffing knuckleboom crane also
designed by Huisman in the Netherlands.
The crane is an active heave compensated unit and was developed
to provide a particularly high level of flexibility and capability for
a range of different operational requirements. To ensure maximum
efficiency, it can work in a number of different modes: 1,000-tonne
triple-fall mode; 660-tonne dual-fall deepsea mode; 660-tonne
dual-fall standard mode; 660-tonne dual-fall high-lift mode; and
330-tonne single-fall mode. For deepsea mode, the rope-luffing

OUR CLIENTS NEED US TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT HEAVIER LIFTS FOR ITEMS SUCH
AS MANIFOLDS AND THE GROWING AMOUNT OF SUBSEA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT
knuckleboom design, together with the rope capture system, allows
the two wire rope falls to be widely separated at the surface, while
the wide twin sheave block provides separation and anti-twisting
movement at depth. This combination of features helps to eliminate
the risk of cabling while maintaining a manageable wire size for
more standard operations.
Speaking to OSJ at the time that the vessel was first ordered, Dr
Stuart N Smith, VP asset development at Subsea 7, said the main
benefit of the new crane is to maintain knuckleboom functionality
for offshore construction activity, while not suffering weight
penalty and the associated impact on ship stability when operating
conventional knuckleboom crane designs.
Looking at other similar vessels in Subsea 7s fleet, he said that
Seven Seas and Skandi Acergy and vessels of that era typically had
400-tonne cranes, so the new crane is a significant increase. Were
responding to our clients needs for something bigger, he said.
Seven Arctics rope-luffing knuckleboom crane is a development of
the Huisman pedestal-mounted offshore crane using an innovative
(for offshore applications) knuckling system on the main boom,
which is actuated using wire ropes rather than hydraulic cylinders.
The benefit of this is to maintain knuckleboom functionality, which
is essential for offshore construction activity, whilst not suffering
the weight penalty (with impact on ship stability) of conventional
knuckleboom crane designs.
The cranes large lift capacity is matched by significant
workability advantages. With a 58 m radius, it can move equipment
from every corner of the deck of the vessel, thereby reducing the
need for deploying skidding systems and allowing the vessel to
maximise its operational time.
The vessels 600-tonne top tension tiltable lay system is suitable
for laying flexible flowlines and risers, umbilicals and power cables
via a twin tensioner and double A&R system. The four-track
twin tensioners are retractable to facilitate passing large pipe-end
fittings and other structures. The lay system also has the capability
to retrieve rigid products from the seabed to the hang-off system
and install pipeline end terminations and other structures. Product
can be loaded into the underdeck basket through one of two
loading hatches. The aft deck of the vessel is suitably strengthened
to accommodate an optional 3,000-tonne capacity deck carousel
or a multi-reel drive system. A basket for storage of flexible pipe/
umbilical developed jointly with MAATS is used for storing
and transporting multiple flexible pipes or the longest and heaviest
umbilicals and power cables, meeting the needs of the trend to
underwater processing or for wind energy projects. Dr Smith said
most comparable vessels had a 5,000-tonne underdeck loading
capacity or less. Having 7,000-tonne loading capacity will enable
Subsea 7 to keep the deck of the vessel free of obstructions and
enhance operability. A large deckload capacity of 4,500-tonnes at 5
m, combined with a large strengthened deck area, will facilitate load-
out of large, heavy equipment.
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS | 23
Dr Smith explained that Seven Arctic will, in Subsea 7s view,
bring an important change in subsea construction capability,
particularly in ultra-deepwater fields, which pose increasingly
technical challenges.
This vessel will offer clients the opportunity to install larger,
heavier infrastructure components more quickly, he explained. A
very specific advantage is that, with our principal crane, we have
chosen to pursue a knuckleboom solution rather than a rigid boom,
which additionally will give significant safety benefits by minimising
load swing while offering important advantages in workability.
He highlighted the fact that, for example, spool pieces are getting
longer and more difficult to handle and that umbilicals and cables are
getting longer and heavier. Our clients need us to be able to carry
out heavier lifts for items such as manifolds and the growing amount
of subsea processing equipment, he told OSJ. Another important
advantage of the new crane is that it will have a higher lifting point,
enabling it to lift lengthier, heavier loads.
Many operations that Seven Arctic will undertake will not need to
make use of the full capacity of the crane, which is where its ability to
work in single-fall mode over the entire deck, lifting up to 300-tonnes
more quickly and with more easily handled hooks, comes in.
In addition to the new crane, the 160 m by 32 m-breadth vessel has
two additional cranes in order to ensure efficient deck operations and
to allow a number of lines simultaneously to the seabed for complex
or simultaneous operations. One of the cranes and the bulwarks are
removable for long overhanging items. Both the main crane and
auxiliary cranes will have a subsea heave compensated capability.
Twin purpose-built work-class remotely operated vehicles
(ROVs) and handling systems in a dedicated hangar area will
be installed on the new vessel, which will have a Norwegian
specification helideck.
As one would expect of a vessel named Seven Arctic, the new
unit will be ice strengthened and winterised to extend the operating
season in the far north. Intended for global operations, the vessel will
also have air conditioning for operation in tropical regions.
The vessel will provide accommodation for 132 people, have
a total deck area of around 2,600 m, have dynamic positioning
to DP3 class and will be Special Purpose Ship (SPS) Code-
compliant. The thruster configuration, in conjunction with the main
propulsion shafts and controllable pitch propellers, affords the vessel
a positionkeeping capability able to withstand harsh operating
conditions. Although it has DP3 class notation, it can also work
in DP2 configurations, allowing different environmental limits
depending on the requirements of the operation being undertaken.
Combined, the capabilities of the new vessel will also give us the
ability to undertake projects in a single mobilisation, said Dr Smith,
and the lifting capacity of the crane and its hoisting speed will be
a major asset. Overall, the vessel will reduce costs and timescales
for projects, and in many cases, our clients will be able to avoid the
expense of dedicated heavy-lift vessels, he concluded. OSJ
24 | SUBSEA/CONSTRUCTION VESSELS
DIVE SUPPORT SHIP
IS REALLY AN OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTOR
The design of Deep Explorer is very
closely based on that of Deep Arctic,
but with a number of modifications
M
id-2017 saw
Deep Explorer Technips
newbuild
dive support
Length oa:
vessel (DSV) Deep Explorer
156.7 m
complete trials offshore
Moulded breadth: Bergen, Norway. The vessel
27 m was named in November
2016 and was completed at
Design draught:
Vard Langsten after the hull of
7m
the vessel was built by Vard
ROVs: Tulcea shipyard in Romania.
2 x 3,000 m The new DSV has a
24-man twin-bell saturation
Dynamic
dive system rated to 350 m,
positioning class:
3 which was designed, built and
commissioned by JFD, part of
Dive system depth: James Fisher and Sons plc.
350 m Deep Explorer is a DP3-
Accommodation: class DSV, purpose-designed
150 and certified for subsea
projects in the demanding
Deck space: North Sea and Canada markets.
1,680 m Technip describes the
Maximum speed: vessel as the most modern
17 knots and versatile DSV in the world,
thanks to its latest technology
Economical speed: diving control system,
14 knots 400-tonne box boom crane,
large deck area, working
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
moonpool and work-class
ROVs, although the design is
actually very closely based on
that of Deep Arctic, the former
Skandi Arctic, which entered
operation in 2009 on charter
with DOF and also has a
400-tonne crane.
The vessel complies with
the requirements of the most
stringent NORSOK rules and,
although classified by its owner
as a dive support ship, is
actually a highly sophisticated
dive support and construction
vessel by dint of its 400-tonne
main crane and a deck that
has been strengthened to
accommodate Technips
modular vertical lay system for
flexible pipe installation.
What this means is that,
although derived from the
design of Deep Arctic, Deep
Explorer differs from the
earlier vessel in a number of
respects (which Technip has
not divulged), not least those
derived from the experience
gained in operating Deep Arctic.
TECHNIPS NEW DIVE
SUPPORT VESSEL DEEP
EXPLORER IS MUCH
MORE THAN JUST A
BASE FOR DIVING
OPERATIONS THE
SHIPS MAIN TOOL IS
A LARGE OFFSHORE
CRANE, AND IT
CAN ALSO ACT AS
A PLATFORM FOR A
MODULAR LAY SYSTEM
Deep Explorer has
accommodation for 150 people
and a 7.2 m x 7.2 m working
moonpool, a 3.9 m x 3.9 m
dive moonpool and two 3,000
m-rated work-class remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs). The
vessel benefits from a deck area
of some 1,680 m2 strengthened
to 15 tonnes/m2.
As highlighted above,
the twin-bell saturation dive
system was supplied by JFD.
Sepro was selected to provide
the launch and recovery
systems for the saturation dive
chambers and the ROVs with
which the ship is equipped.
The ships powerplant takes
the form of a quartet of 3.3
megawatt (MW) Wrtsil 6L32s
and two 4.4 MW 8L32 engines,
providing a total of 22MW. The
propulsors take the form of
two 3.5 MW and a single 3.6
MW Rolls-Royce Azipull aft,
complemented by a pair of 2.4
MW tunnel thrusters and two
2.2 MW retractable azimuth
thrusters forward. OSJ
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SEACOR Puma and SEACOR Panther | 57m Catamaran Fast Crew Boat Builder: Astilleros Armon Operator: SEACOR Marine

Incat Crowther
E V E R E VO LV I N G EVER IMPROVING
ROBUST, EFFICIENT AND VERSATILE OFFSHORE VESSELS
www.incatcrowther.com
OPERATIONAL STUDIES FUNCTIONAL DESIGN PRODUCTION DESIGN PROCUREMENT CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT THROUGH-LIFE SUPPORT CONSULTING

CUSTOMISED DSV DESIGNS
WILL WORK WITH FPSOS
AND FIXED PLATFORMS
I
ncat Crowther regularly
appears in the Annual
Review issue of OSJ as a
result of the innovative
vessels it designs and the niche
markets in which it specialises
such as crewboats and dive
support vessels. Crewboats
designed by the company are
described elsewhere in this issue.
It now has a number of
dive support vessel (DSV)
designs to its name, of which
some are catamarans and others
monohulls. The largest of these
is a 56 m catamaran DSV,
Bhagwan Dryden, which has
a first-of-type fully integrated
catamaran hullform unit with
multiple power generation units
coupled to an advanced control
system and azimuth propulsors
and deck equipment.
Others include Oceanicasub
IV and Oceanicasub V, two 43
m DSVs with a wide array
of dive support equipment,
including a deck crane,
A-frame for a remotely
operated vehicle, dive
bell frame and hyperbaric
chamber, and a 42.5 m
monohull DSV, Sistac Victoria,
a purpose-built unit with fully
integrated dive systems.
They are complemented in
its design portfolio by two 18
m catamaran DSVs, the design
of which was ordered from
the company early in 2017 by
Legacy Marine Group of Port
Elizabeth, South Africa.
Currently under
construction, these catamaran
hullform DSVs are being
built for Stapem Offshore for
operation in the coastal waters
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
Two dive support vessels being built
for a company working offshore
Angola are among the latest designs
from Incat Crowther, the well known
naval architect in Australia
off Angola, Stapem Offshore
being a provider of marine,
subsea and maintenance services
to companies in the offshore
oil and gas industry that has
been operational in Angola
since 1989 and in Congo
since 2009. It specialises in
multidiscipline engineering,
procurement, construction,
and commissioning and
maintenance projects and has
an operating base in Sonils Base
with warehouses, workshops,
storage yards, transportation
facilities and accommodation.
Stapem Offshores newbuilds are the latest addition to Incat
Crowthers growing portfolio of DSVs
Stapem Offshores new
vessels are a customised design
specific to supporting dive
operations offshore West Africa
where they will work closely
with floating production units
and other platforms.
Incat Crowther describes the
bow configuration as designed
for efficient interaction with
personal transfer ladders on
floating production, storage
and offloading units and fixed
platforms. Robust fendering
is to be provided around the
perimeter of the vessel to
DIVE SUPPORT VESSELS | 27
protect it from damage.
The aft deck utilises
available space by combining
deck lockers and racks for
dive equipment storage with a
covered dive prepping area. The
vessel will have four fold-down
dive ladders for water access
and three swing davits to assist
divers plus a deck crane for
additional operational support.
The main cabin has seating for
12 and a dive operations panel
for monitoring dives.
Designed to achieve
speeds in excess of 20 knots,
the vessels propulsion takes
the form of two MAN
D2876LE402 main engines,
each coupled to a Hamilton
HJ403 waterjet through ZF
360 gearboxes.
Electrical power for the vessel
and all dive operations will be
provided by two Fischer Panda
generators. Other items fitted
below deck include a hydraulic
power unit with its own
designated engine and pump, a
Caviblaster system, high-pressure
and low-pressure compressors
and storage systems.
With a waterline length of
17.0 m and a beam of 6.0 m, the
newbuilds for Stapem Offshore
will have a hull draught of 1.16
m. With a crew of two, the new
units will have two fuel tanks,
each for 1,750 litres of fuel, and
tanks for 500 litres of water and
500 litres of sullage.
The newbuilds will have
a service speed of 20 knots
and maximum speed of 23.5
knots. They will bear the class
notation ABS +A1 (E) HSC
Coastal Craft + AMS. OSJ
28 | FALLPIPE VESSELS

INTEGRATED DESIGN
AND FOCUS ON SAFETY
DEFINE INNOVATIVE ROCK INSTALLATION UNIT

N
umerous examples of
vessels with the Ulstein
X-BOW hullform have been
built, and the X-BOW has
been applied to a growing range of
vessels since it made its debut in the
offshore support vessel market, but
Van Oords new rock installation vessel,
Bravenes, will be the first fallpipe vessel
with this design feature.
Van Oord has long operated fallpipe
vessels and has been heavily involved
in their development, but Bravenes
differs from existing examples of the
type in a number of respects, not just in
the adoption of the X-BOW. In fact, the
Dutch owner describes Bravenes, which
is being built at Zhejiang Shipbuilding in
China, as the first fully integrated design
for a rock installation unit.
In the past, rock installation vessels
have often been based on a traditional
flat-top design or were converted from
other units, such as bulk carriers, that had
With its moveable tower, purpose-designed ROV and high level of flexibility, Bravenes is sufficient deadweight. Given their role
capable of installing rock using several techniques transporting and installing large quantities
of rock at sea in order to protect subsea
infrastructure safety has always been a
particularly important issue.
Speaking at the 2017 Annual
Offshore Support Journal Conference,
Awards & Exhibition in London earlier
this year, Edwin van Leeuwen, managing
director at Ulstein Design & Solutions
BV, explained that the key factors
driving the design of the new vessel
were that it should be more compact
than a conventional rock installation
2018 IS EXPECTED TO SEE A NEW unit, safer and smarter in as much

TYPE OF EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE ROCK as the vessel and the rock installation
equipment on board were designed as a
INSTALLATION VESSEL ENTER SERVICE WITH single, integrated system.
To be effective, rock installation
NETHERLANDS-BASED VAN OORD requires pinpoint accuracy, which

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com


Bravenes will be capable of achieving.
It will also be much more flexible than
older fallpipe ship designs and be
capable of handling rocks of varying
size and of dumping rock through a
moonpool, over the side and through
tremie pipe for direct dumping. It
will also be capable of a seabed
intervention, where required.
The dynamic positioning class 3
(DP3) vessel meets the requirements
for Ice Class 1A PC7, and the ship and
its equipment are designed for year-
round operability in harsh weather and
high sea states. Having a DP3 system
will enable Bravenes to operate safely
close to offshore structures. Ulstein will
also supply the fallpipe rock deployment
system and the majority of the ancillary
systems for the rock installation tower.
Describing some of the design
challenges involved in developing the
new unit, which will be able to carry up
to 15,500 tonnes of rock in its two holds,
Mr van Leeuwen highlighted the need
to make use of vessel volume without
hatches on the holds, the need for a
shallow draught to facilitate port entry
wherever required, the ability to unload
large rocks without assistance and the
requirement to develop and integrate
an automated fallpipe system without a
manual interference.
Maximising the use of the available
volume of the vessel required particular
attention to the freeboard, stability
requirements and bilge requirements of
the new vessel, for which model testing
for survival sea states was carried out at
Maritime Research Institute Netherlands.
The focus on safety also led to several
hazard identification workshops being
conducted at the concept and basic
design stage and close attention to
Key factors driving the
design of the new vessel
were that it should be more
compact than a conventional
rock installation unit, safer
and smarter
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
detail when it came to issues such
as escape routes which are based
on passenger ship rules rather than
those for cargo vessels logistics and
material handling, and personnel access
and maintenance. Mr van Leeuwen
explained that this required the designer
to make use of passenger ship safety
concepts. A number of modifications
were made to the design throughout the
design process.
A number of special safety studies
were also conducted in addition to those
required by statutory requirements. These
included studies addressing dynamic
damage stability and flooding simulation,
including the effects of waves and the
effects of progressive flooding. The studies
revealed significantly higher survivability
needs than required for SOLAS and
provided an insight into cause and effect
of damage cases and options to improve
the design. Extensive calculations also
supported the soundness of the watertight
integrity layout.
Comfort on board and what Mr
van Leeuwen described as safety by
design was also an important aspect
of the process, with a focus on the
bridge layout and lines of vision, which
were tailored for the nature of the
operations the vessel will carry out.
The accommodation layout was also
optimised to enhance for personnel
routes and comfort, and noise and
vibration analyses were used to gain an
insight into noise and vibration levels
when the vessel was in operation whilst
endeavouring to meet the highest
comfort class. Noise and vibration levels
will be followed up with measurements
during sea trials.
Everything can be operated from the
bridge, including the excavators, Mr van
Leeuwen explained. The vessel has been
designed in such a way that maintenance
and access will be as straightforward as
possible, and it will be easy to ship and
handle fallpipe elements.
Overall, he concluded, the vessel
will provide Van Oord with an extremely
high level of flexibility. It will be able
to install rock through the moonpool
fallpipe, over the side through a fallpipe,
over the side via a chute and over the
side via a tremie pipe. All of this will be
combined with the ability to handle rock
of different sizes and with a focus on
health and safety, with minimal human
intervention or heavy manual labour
during deployment of the fallpipe.
FALLPIPE VESSELS | 29
MOVEABLE
FALLPIPE
TOWER
HOUSES
SPECIALLY-
DESIGNED ROV
At the heart of the vessel amidships
is the fallpipe tower, within which is
housed the fully automated system for
the deployment of the flexible fallpipe
and rmotely operated vehcile (ROV ).
Designed to install rock at depths of up
to 1,000 m, the specially designed ROV
is raised into position as the doors of the
tower are opened to provide access to the
moonpool in the centre of the ships hull.
The ROV descends through the
moonpool, continuously fed with its
string of buckets. After clearing the
hull, its lateral arms are deployed, and
a constant supply of buckets is fed by a
combination of winches and cables as
the ROV is steadily lowered towards
the seabed.
Having reached the correct depth,
the ROV can now begin its survey
of the seabed within the designated
work area, propelling itself with six
integrated thrusters.
To transport rock from the cargo
holds into the fallpipe, a pair of conveyor
belts is used, fed by a gravity-based
system. When they reach the end of the
fallpipe, the rocks are installed, following
a designated pattern.
A second configuration is used when
a structure, such as a platform, can only
be approached from the side. The tower
is designed to be able to change position
and extend itself beyond the side of the
vessel. Using this installation technique,
the same ROV system is used, launched
together with a catching frame, which
prevents damage from later movement.
In cases where the rock is installed
using the fallpipe over the side, a
dedicated plate feeder is used to
transport the rock into the fallpipe. As
with the moonpool deployment, the
ROV manoeuvres itself to install the
rock as per specifications, directing
the flow of rock.cisely precisely where
required. OSJ
30 | CABLELAY VESSELS

Cablelay vessel
sets new standards
for environmentally friendly operation
June 2017 saw NKT Victoria, an advanced, purpose-built, fuel- are the use of ABB Marines
Onboard DC Grid and the
efficient and environmentally friendly cablelay vessel, start work
ability to use shore power
whilst in port, further reducing
the ships fuel consumption and
emissions. The diesel-electric

O
riginally ordered by
ABB, NKT Victoria
was delivered to
NKT following
the acquisition by the company
of ABBs high-voltage cable
business in 2016. It completed
its first cablelaying campaign
on Scottish and Southern
Electricity Networks 1Bn
Caithness-Moray transmission
project in early June.
NKT held a naming
ceremony for the innovative
vessel in April 2017 at its power
cable plant in Karlskrona,
Sweden. The vessel, which was
designed by Salt Ship Design
in Norway and built by Kleven
shipyard, incorporates extensive
experience with offshore
cable installation and will lay
high-voltage offshore cables
with a particularly high level of
precision using its DP3 dynamic
positioning system and aremotely
operated vehicle withunderwater
cameras and sonar.
Among the technically
advanced features of the Salt
306 CLV design, said to
be among the worlds most
advanced and fuel efficient,
propulsion machinery employs
six high-speed Caterpillar
3516 propulsion engines of
2 megawatts each, acting as
gensets and providing power for
three Azipod CZ980 thrusters
of 1,900 kW.
NKT Victoria is capable
of simultaneous dual HVDC
and fibre-optic cablelaying and
deepwater HVAC installation

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com


using a high-capacity tensioner
system. The two turntables
installed on the vessel have a
combined capacity of 9,000
tonnes, and there is capacity
for a 500-tonne fibre-optic
tank below deck. To enable
complete cablelay capabilities
ranging from the deep water
to the shore, NKT Victoria is
designed to be beachable in
fully laden condition. The vessel
is also fitted with a six-point
mooring system. For work in
ultra-deep water, the deck has
been prepared to accommodate
a vertical lay tower to enable
sufficient high-tension hold-
back capabilities.
NKT Victoria was designed
to operate with the highest
possible level of safety, in
full compliance with the
most stringent requirements
for a vessel of its type. The
ships versatility is further
strengthened by a fully
integrated navigation and survey
system that will enable NKT
Victoria to operate in high sea
states and conditions that would
prevent most cablelay units from
operating. The offshore markets
stringent safety requirements are
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
met throughout the installation
process thanks to sophisticated
roll-reduction technology
that mitigates the effects of
challenging sea conditions.
Fire and flooding containment
systems protect essential
systems, ensuring ongoing
operations are not compromised.
NKT Victoria can use shore
power when available, and the
Onboard DC Grid will reduce
fuel consumption significantly
compared to other cablelay
vessels available on the market.
The Onboard DC Grid system
will increase the efficiency
of the vessel by allowing the
ships engines to work at
variable speed, in combination
with energy storage for peak
shaving and enhanced dynamic
performance, optimising the
energy consumption and
reducing engine maintenance.
Energy storage is also used for
backup for shore connection
during cable loading, allowing
the ship to be emission free
during cable loading. Three
Azipod C units will maximise
the manoeuvrability of the
ship and operate in DP3
mode when required. Azipod
CABLELAY VESSELS | 31
propulsion is significantly more LEFT: NKT Victoria has the
fuel efficient than conventional fuel-efficient Onboard DC Grid
propulsion systems. and the ability to use shore
UK-based MAATS Tech power whilst in port, further
Ltd managed the design, reducing fuel consumption
fabrication, delivery, installation and emissions
and commissioning of the
cablelay equipment to DNV BELOW: The turntable on NKT
GL certification. The specialist Victoria can carry 9,000-tonnes
equipment included two four- of high-voltage cable
track, 45-tonne tensioners,
7,000-tonne ondeck carousel,
4,500-tonne underdeck carousel,
loading arms, three 3-tonne
tensioners, chute assemblies and
roller pathways, enabling the
vessel to load or unload three
products at synchronised speed.
The equipment was mainly
manufactured in the UK, with a
large team of core suppliers and
subcontractors. The company
oversaw the development and
delivery of the equipment to
meet the schedule and also
attended a series of trials before
the ship was named.
Michael Hedegaard Lyng,
president and CEO of NKT,
said of NKT Victoria With
this cablelaying vessel, we are
now among the very few AC/
DC high-voltage offshore cable
system providers to deliver
complete turnkey solutions and
are well positioned to continue
taking an active part in the
growing global market for
offshore wind projects. OSJ
 Complete Engineering Solutions

MAATS Tech Ltd

delivers reliable quality deck equipment and handling solutions for
the offshore and energy industries - www.maats.co.uk

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A bulk carrier named Golden Seas had lost power off Alaska and was drifting . It was up to
the crew of an AHTS vessel to rescue her before it was too late. But it would take twenty-
four hours to reach the struggling ship. Through storm-force winds and seas twelve meters
high. They could only try. Caterpillar gives you the confidence to go the extra mile. From
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Newbuild combines cablelay, trenching
and rock installation capability
D DEME Groups new cablelay vessel Living
ue to enter
service shortly,
Living Stone,
DEME Groups
new cablelay, trenching
and rock installation vessel,
has a considerable backlog
ahead of it.
The first project it will
undertake will see it install
the inter-array cables on the
Merkur offshore windfarm in
the North Sea. The second
contract, awarded by Dong
Energy to Tideway, a subsidiary
of DEME, will see the ship
install the cabling for the
Hornsea Project One offshore
windfarm. The third project is
an interconnector job for Elia.
For the Hornsea Project
One contract, Tideway will
deploy DEMEs dynamic
positioning class 3 vessel
to install the cables on
what will be the worlds
largest offshore windfarm.
The scope of work to be
undertaken by Tideway
includes cablelay, pre-
trenching, backfilling, pre-
sweeping, route preparation
and rock placement for three
high voltage subsea power
cables from three offshore
substations to the shore, as
well as the installation of two
interlink cables.
Describing the contract
and the companys role in it,
Hugo Bouvy and Lucas Bols,
directors at Tideway, said the
work on Hornsea Project One
would make use of the vessels
innovative, modular cable/
umbilical-handling system,
which has a 10,000-tonne
cable capacity divided over two
turntables, both of which are
arranged below deck.
The third contract that
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | Annual Review 2017
Stone has already been awarded three
contracts proof, if any were needed, of
its extremely high-spec design and
cost-effective mode of operation
Livingstone combines a large cable-carrying capacity with the ability
to install cable and cable protection faster than any other vessel
will be undertaken by Living
Stone was awarded to
Dredging International, also
part of DEME Group, which
has secured a contract from
Belgian transmission system
operator Elia to install the
power cables for a modular
offshore grid in the North Sea.
DEME will use a number
of newly built vessels from
its fleet to carry out the work,
including Living Stone and
the trailing suction hopper
dredgers Minerva the first
of its type in the world with
dual-fuel liquefied natural
gas (LNG) propulsion and
Scheldt River. DEME will use
Minerva and Scheldt River to
prepare the seabed before
installing the cable from
Living Stone.
Elias modular offshore grid
includes a substation located
about 40 km off the coast
of Zeebrugge to which four
windfarms will be connected.
Submarine cables will link the
platform with a substation in
Belgium, where electricity from
the windfarms will be injected
into the Belgian grid. The
contract includes the supply,
installation and maintenance of
the submarine power cables.
One 220 kV power cable will
be installed along a 4.5 km
route between the substation
and the first windfarm. Two 220
kV submarine power cables of
approximately 39 km each will
CABLELAY VESSELS | 33
be installed from the substation
to the onshore connection
point at Zeebrugge.
Like Minerva, Living Stone
also has dual-fuel engines and
will use LNG as its primary
fuel. Built at Spanish shipyard
LaNaval, the vessels turntables
can transport more than 200
km of cable. With deck space
of 3,500 m and an innovative
cable-handling system with
cable-handling tools for
cable ends, connections and
cable protection systems
accommodated on deck, Living
Stone can also be equipped
with a third carousel with an
additional loading capacity of
2,000 tonnes, if required.
Complementing this huge
cable-carrying capacity are
remotely operated vehicles
and a subsea trenching tool
and fallpipe system that will
be used to lower rock to
protect cables once they have
been installed. The vessel
also has a 7.7 m by 7.7 m
moonpool and a 600-tonne
crane for the installation
and removal of subsea
structures and will provide
accommodation for up to
100 people. It can be also be
fitted with a 65-tonne safe
working load A-frame that will
have a telescopic docking
frame and a winch with slack
motion compensation.
Unsurprisingly, given all
of the above-mentioned
capability and technology
developed in house by
Tideway, DEME claims that
Living Stone will install
cables more quickly and
more efficiently and in longer
lengths and with fewer
offshore joints than any other
cable installation vessel. OSJ
34 | PLATFORM SUPPLY VESSELS

ICE-SHIP SPECIALIST
DELIVERS TWO UNITS FOR SAKHALIN II

FINNISH AND RUSSIAN SHIPYARDS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF COLLABORATION, THE LATEST
EXAMPLE OF WHICH IS A NEW ICEBREAKING SUPPLY VESSEL FOR SOVCOMFLOT AND THE
FIRST OF A TRIO OF STANDBY VESSELS

J
anuary 2017 saw a naming ceremony held for a new specialists have collaborated with their Finnish counterparts in
icebreaking platform supply vessel for Sovcomflot. The vessel, the construction of ice-class tankers and a range of vessels for the
Gennadiy Nevelskoy, is destined to work on the Sakhalin II development of the Arctic.
project under a long-term agreement with Sakhalin Energy We are learning icebreaking technologies from our partners,
and is the first of four ordered by the Russian company for the field. but at the same time, we contribute our own competences, he said.
Gennadiy Nevelskoy has a deadweight of 3,000 tonnes. The other Gennadiy Nevelskoy continues our co-operation and carries on the
three ships are standby vessels with a smaller deadweight (2,000 glorious tradition of collaboration between the Russian and Finnish
tonnes). The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping has assigned shipbuilding industries, he said.
them Icebreaker 6 ice class. The new vessel left the shipyard on its Arctech Helsinki Shipyard delivered the second ship it is building
maiden voyage to Sakhalin Island on 5 March 2017 and is named for Sovcomflot on 15 June 2017. The multifunction standby vessel
after a famous explorer of the Russian Far East, Gennadiy Nevelskoy. was named after Russian vice admiral and polar explorer Stepan
Built according to the latest international standards for safe Makarov. The 3,300 tonnes deadweight, Russian Maritime Register
operation and protection of the environment, the design of all four ice-class 6 vessel will also be assigned to the Sakhalin II project in
vessels was developed by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. the Sea of Okhotsk. OSJ
The three standby vessels will have a slightly smaller deadweight
than the first of the newbuilds but have the same icebreaking
capacity and large accommodation capacity as Gennadiy Nevelskoy.
All four vessels will be used for year-round delivery of supplies and
consumables to offshore platforms, transporting personnel and
performing standby and ice-management duties near the platforms.
The vessels will also be outfitted for integrated environmental
protection and rescue operations.
With a length overall of 104 m and breadth of 21 m, Gennadiy
Nevelskoy has a total installed power of 21 megawatts (MW) and
propulsion of 13 MW. This gives the new vessel a speed in 1.5m
level ice of 3 knots. The vessel has a design draught of 7.60 m,
maximum draught of 7.90 m and deadweight of 3,000 tonnes. It has
lifesaving appliances for a total of 70 people and accommodation
for 28 crew and 42 other personnel. It is classed by the Russian
Maritime Register of Shipping and bears the class notation KM(*),
Icebreaker6, AUT-1, OMBO, FF3WS, DYNPOS-2, ANTI-ICE,
ECO, Winterization(-35), Supply Vessel, Oil Recovery Ship, Special
Purpose Ship.
Speaking at a naming ceremony for the vessel in January 2017,
Sergey Frank, president and CEO of Sovcomflot, said Gennadiy
Nevelskoy enables us to strengthen Sovcomflots position as a global
leader in the icebreaking supply vessel class.
Esko Mustamki, CEO of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, described
the vessel as technically a forerunner in Arctic shipbuilding with
an environmentally advanced design that fulfils the requirements
of IMO Tier III. We have also paid special attention to the
underwater noise level caused by the ship, said Mr Mustamki.
Alexey Rakhmanov, President of USC, which collaborated with
Arctech Shipyard to build the vessel, highlighted long-lasting ties Gennadiy Nevelskoy is one of four icebreaking units Arctech
between Russian and Finnish shipbuilders and noted that Russian Helsinki Shipyard in building for Sovcomflot

Offshore Support Journal | Annual Review 2017 www.osjonline.com

Annual Offshore
Support Journal
conference | awards | exhibition
7-8 February 2018, London
Nominations are now open for 2018s
Annual Offshore Support Journal Award winners
Support Vessel
of the Year Award
Awarded to the owner,
designer and builder of an
offshore support vessel
considered to have set an
industry benchmark through
innovative design and
efficient operation.
Shipowner of the
Year Award
Awarded to a company
which has shown excellence
in the operation of its ship(s)
and has demonstrated
an exemplary record
of achievement in the
management of one or more
of business development
and growth, of safety,
quality, efficiency and
environmental sustainability.
See last years winners and start nominating on the awards page.
www.osjconference.com/awards
Innovation of the
Year Award
Awarded to an innovative
product, system or service
which is considered to have
made significant impact
on the design, build and/
or operational aspects of
offshore support vessels.
Subsea Innovation Award
Awarded to the owner of an
innovative subsea vessel,
the developer of innovative
subsea equipment, or
contractor responsible for
an especially innovative
subsea project.
Offshore
Renewables Award
Awarded to a company,
project or product that
has made a significant
contribution to the
development of the offshore
renewables market.
Platinum sponsor
Dynamic
Positioning Award Gold sponsors
Awarded to the developer
of an innovative DP product
or system, or contractor
responsible for an especially
innovative application of DP
on a project.
Environmental Award
Awarded to a company,
project or product that Silver sponsors
has made a significant
contribution to a reduction in
the environmental footprint
of the OSV industry.
Safety Award
Awarded to a company,
person, project or product Awards sponsors
that has made a significant
impact to safety in the
OSV industry.
Official publication Organised by
36 | ANCHOR-HANDLING TUG/SUPPLY VESSELS
MODIFIED DELIVERY SCHEDULE
FOR AHTS SERIES REFLECTS
CHANGED MARKET REALITY
Maersk Supply Services new anchor handlers are very high-spec ships,
but the downturn in the industry means it doesnt need all of them in
service as early as originally planned
K
leven Verft in Norway has now
delivered the first two of Maersk
Supply Services sophisticated and
extremely powerful Starfish-class
anchor-handling tug/supply (AHTS) vessels,
Maersk Master and Maersk Mariner. The
first of the Salt 200 design AHTS vessels
commenced a maiden work scope being
utilised by Maersk Oil on the Janice and
Leadon decommissioning projects in the UK
sector of the North Sea. The second departed
Norwegian waters en route for Australia for
acharter with Woodside Energy.
The company signed a newbuilding
contract for six examples of the Starfish-
class ships with Kleven Maritime in
Norway in 2014, shortly before the steep
fall in the oil price and the subsequent
recession in the offshore oil and gas
industry. The vessels are being built with
The Starfish-class was designed with an emphasis
on safe operations in deepwater and has a range of
innovative anchor-handling gear
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
a total budget that exceeds US$0.5Bn.
Construction of each vessel takes around
18 months from steel cutting to delivery.
Potential customers for their services
are international oil companies and
construction companies worldwide.
Built for deepwater operations, the
Starfish vessels are designed for maximum
reliability, safety and uptime and have a
length of 95 m and beam of 25 m. There
are several innovative features on the
Starfish-class vessels, including an anchor-
recovery frame that simplifies operations
over the stern roller and a remotely
operated deck-handling gantry crane. A
hybrid propulsion solution makes it possible
to select the optimal operating mode for
the task at hand. They have been assigned
Lloyds Register (LR) class notations
100A1, Offshore Supply Ship AHTS, Fire
Fighting Ship 1 (2400), Ice Class 1A PS,
RD (2.8), *IWS.
The Starfish vessels are unlike any other
anchor handlers currently on the market,
said says Peter Kragh Jacobsen, head of
newbuildings at Maersk Supply Service. They
are premium assets that are second to none in
terms of operational reliability, onboard safety
and comfort and client offerings. The vessels
were developed based on how best to provide
value to our customers.
Powered by five medium-speed engines
with total output of more than 23,000
hp, they have a fuel-efficient and flexible
hybrid propulsion system and fixed-pitch
thrusters, a combination of features that
should provide high reliability, good fuel
economy, low emissions and excellent
station-keeping capabilities.
In our newbuilding project with Kleven,
we have carefully designed the vessel for
maximum flexibility and lowest possible
operational costs, said Sren Karas, the
companys chief operating officer at the time.
Customer feedback has been positive, and
we believe that the vessels will play a role in
enabling the industry to derive much-needed
gains in efficiency. Also designed for safe
deck operations, the vessels are equipped
with a multideck handler system, anchor
recovery frame, gypsy reel-handling system
and other equipment that will enhance
operability and safety.
Among the key features of the vessels
highlighted by Maersk Supply Service are
an environmental regularity number (ERN)
of 99.99.99.99, a 230-tonne bollard pull,
covered deck areas of 838 m2 and 102
m2, a 450-tonne drum anchor-handling
winch and 500-tonne double drum towing
winches, two 170-tonne secondary winches,

a 200-tonne anchor recovery frame and the
multideck handler.
The new vessels have a deadweight
of 4,500 tonnes, accommodation for 52
people and are equipped with a work-class
remotely operated vehicle in a hangar.
The vessels also have FiFi 1 external fire-
fighting capability, Ice 1A classification and
oil recovery capabilities.
The vessels have equipment from
a number of well-known Norwegian
manufacturers and suppliers, creating value
widely across Norway. Rolls-Royce is to
deliver the deck machinery highlighted
above under a contract worth in excess of
54 million (US$70.41 million) awarded
to it by Kleven, this being the largest
single contract for deck machinery that
Rolls-Royce has won. Rolls-Royce is also
supplying the ships cargo-securing winches,
auxiliary winches and dry bulk cargo
systems. The delivery from Rolls-Royce
also includes rudders and steering gear for
all six vessels.
As highlighted above, the vessels will also
have anchor recovery frames to assist with
launch and recovery of anchors. The contract
with Rolls-Royce is the first reference for the
anchor recovery frames, which were designed
in co-operation with Maersk to optimise
vessel safety and efficiency.
Runar Hjelle, Rolls-Royces area sales
manager, said the vessels high focus on
safety and efficiency would be further
enhanced by the addition of the anchor
recovery frame. The new system is
designed to reduce the loads generated
when anchors are lifted from sea to deck
and lowered from the deck into the sea, he
told OSJ. When not in use, this innovative
recovery frame can be stowed in a deck
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
ANCHOR-HANDLING TUG/SUPPLY VESSELS | 37
A total of six Starfish-class ships were ordered but
delivery of the remaining four has been postponed
recess hidden by a mechanically operated
hatch cover, providing a much safer
working deck environment for ships crews.
It makes for a more efficient operation.
Unlike existing anchor-handling frames,
which have a 90 degree operating angle, the
Rolls-Royce equipment can be operated at
a 126 degree angle to the deck by way of
two hydraulic cylinders and a free-rotating
roller with a 1,680 mm diameter. Capable
of operation in temperatures ranging from
-20C to 45C, the 8,840 mm wide, 7,990
mm high recovery frame has a nominal
towline tension capacity of 200 tonnes with
a lateral force of 50 tonnes.
Although the first two of the new
class of anchor handlers quickly found
work, the sharp downturn in demand for
offshore vessels since they were ordered,
brought about by the steep decline in the
oil price, led several owners to postpone
delivery of vessels for which they were
unlikely to be able to find work. Maersk
Supply Service was not immune from
the effects of the downturn and entered
into agreements with yards building
new vessels for it to postpone them.
This included the anchor-handling
newbuildings at Kleven and four subsea
support vessel newbuildings under
construction at COSCO Dalian in China.
In a statement issued at the time that
the decision was announced, Maersk
Supply Service said the company and the
yards in question considered postponement
to be the best solution given the current
market situation.
At the time that the decision was
announced, Maersk Master had already
been delivered, with Maersk Mariner due
to be delivered in late June (it was actually
delivered in July 2017). Under the revised
agreement, the next three Starfish anchor
handlers from Kleven will be delivered in
2018, and the latest in the beginning of
2019. None of the Stingray subseavessels
at COSCO Dalian have beendelivered
to date and will all be slightly postponed
with contract delivery dates planned from
summer 2017 to spring 2018.
It is our priority to optimise the
utilisation options for our newbuildings,
and we are confident that the new
delivery schedule will benefit the
competitive edge of Maersk Supply
Service, said the companyschief
executive, SteenKarstensen.
We have optimised the delivery
schedule for our newbuildings to better fit
the market situation and strengthen our
utilisation options. This will benefit our
competitiveness by allowing extra time to
align with customers, he said.
Maersk Supply Service said postponing
capital expenditure by delaying delivery
of the vessels will save the company
approximately US$400M in 2017. The
company reported a loss of US$10M and
underlying loss of US$11M for the second
quarter of 2017 and attributed the loss to
lower utilisation and the challenging nature
of the market for offshore support vessels. In
the second quarter, Maersk Supply Service
had gross utilisation of 56%, compared to
61% in the second quarter of 2016.
In the last quarter, we had solid
operational and commercial performance,
including important contract wins.
However, due to the subdued offshore
market, Maersk Supply Service reported an
underlying loss of US$11M, which is never
satisfactory, said Mr Karstensen. OSJ
Image courtesy of Salt Ship Design

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 SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS | 39

PURPOSE-DRIVEN DESIGN
MAKES SERVICE SHIP A LEADER
One of a growing

D
esigned by Salt
Ship Design in
number of service Norway and to
operation vessels be built by Cemre
Shipyard in Turkey, Louis
ordered in recent Dreyfus Armateurs (LDAs) new
months, Louis Dreyfus service operation vessel (SOV)
Armateurs newbuild is the subject of a long-term
contract with Dong Energy. It
combines a high level will operate on four offshore
of operability, low windfarms off the German coast
Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2 and
operating costs and Gode Wind 1 and 2 providing
logistics innovations a base for windfarm technicians.
Due to be delivered by
the Turkish yard in the fourth
quarter of 2018, the 83.0 m
vessel has a beam of 19.4 m
and will be equipped with a
dynamic motion compensated
gangway with what Salt Ship
Design describes as a unique
onboard logistic solution.
LDA worked closely with
Salt Ship Design to develop a
vessel tailored for the needs
of the offshore wind industry.
This has resulted in a very
purpose-driven SOV, said the
Norwegian naval architect.
LDA is expanding its range
of services in the renewables
industry. Its personnel have
been working closely with us
for a long time to develop a
vessel tailored to meet the
needs of the offshore wind
industry, a spokesperson
for Salt Ship Design said,
in particular, focusing on
enhanced operability and
efficient logistics. The contract

LDAs service operation vessel is one of

a growing number of offshore ships with
hybrid propulsion incorporating batteries

www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review

40 | SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS
is an important milestone for
us because the renewables
industry is becoming an
increasingly important market.
The ship will have
accommodation for a minimum
of 60 windfarm technicians
and will provide them with
comfortable conditions,
including individual cabins,
a gym and a cinema. The
technicians will be transferred
to the wind turbines via a
specially designed daughter
craft (in case of good weather
conditions) and will use
the motion compensated
gangway in heavy seas.
The daughter craft will be
capable of transferring eight
windfarm technicians and 1
tonne of cargo to a turbine.
The motion compensated
gangway will have a range of
approximately 19 m and will be
complemented by a unique
motion compensated crane
with a lifting capacity of 1 tonne
at 23 m.
LDA has opted for the
construction of a highly
specified vessel that
combines a number of
innovative ideas, not least
in terms of its environmental
impact and operating costs,
which will both be reduced
as a result of the adoption
of a hybrid diesel-electric
propulsion system combining
diesel engines and batteries.
The windfarm service
vessel will have a DC power
distribution grid that will allow
batteries to be integrated
into it, making the ship more
environmentally friendly and
efficient. ABB is installing
LDAs newbuild is the first application of the TTS Colibri motion
compensated crane
the DC grid along with what
it calls a power and energy
management system enabling
the generators to run at
variable speeds while also
charging the batteries.
In a statement about the
system, ABB marine and
ports global product manager
for Onboard DC Grid John
Olav Lindtjrn said Energy
storage can be used for many
purposes onboard. Sometimes
it serves as the sole energy
source, but for this windfarm
vessel, it is being deployed
as an effective supporting
element for the main engine.
The DC grid will integrate
two sets of batteries that will
be used primarily for spinning
reserve and peak shaving
so that power peaks during
operation can be covered
by the battery rather than
starting another engine.
Battery power can also act as
backup for running generators,
reducing the need to run spare
generator capacity.
The level of operating
efficiency available in a
hybrid power system reduces
wear and tear on engines
and significantly increases
fuel efficiency at lower loads
 SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS | 41

where, in traditional AC power industry and has enabled TTS Colibri is a natural step in Carl Herland, sales manager
systems, generators run greater operability for enhanced vessel operability, at TTS Offshore Solutions,
at a fixed maximum speed personnel transfer between providing motion compensated a subsidiary of TTS Group.
regardless of the power vessels and fixed offshore lifting to match the increased Colibri is suitable for retrofit
demand on board. platforms through the use operability offered by motion to existing cranes, making it a
Apart from enhancing the of motion compensated compensated gangways. viable solution for upgrading
ships green credentials in the gangways, he said. However, Joining forces has enabled cranes that are already in
environmentally conscious operations typically require both our companies to offer service. Hence, it offers
offshore wind industry, ABB both personnel and equipment a serious and commercially shipowners the ability to
also points to a benefit for to be transferred between a very attractive alternative in enhance the flexibility of their
the vessels crew: reduced vessel and platform. Hence, this market segment, said existing fleet. OSJ
vibration when the hybrid
system is on battery power.
ABB marine and ports
managing director Juha
Koskela said Shipping
is waking up to the many
advantages of energy storage.
With the industry starting to
use batteries more and more
and fuel cells becoming a
viable option, we fully expect
the Onboard DC Grid to gain Visit us at Kormarine, Busan, Korea,
further traction. BEXCO - Busan Exhibition & Convention Center, hall 4, booth N4-13,
Uptime will supply the 24th - 27th October 2017
walk-to-work gangway for the
LDA newbuild. TTS Group and

Picture Alan Jamieson

Ulstein will provide the motion
compensated crane. Together,
the companies have been
awarded a contract for a TTS
Colibri motion compensated
crane for the SOV. The
new crane combines TTSs
expertise in crane design and
manufacturing with Ulsteins
expertise in motion technology
and analysis.
Two features make
the TTS Colibri unique
compared to other solutions
in the market, claimed Gilbert
Rezette, managing director of e n t a l ly
fr
nm
Ulstein Equipment, a Dutch
ro

ie
n d ly
envi

subsidiary of Ulstein Group.

Firstly, the Colibri system is
POWERFUL ec
b

ts

a stand-alone add-on device ke r c

pro du
for a standard offshore crane.
It adds functionality, while the Our proven rudder systems are the perfect choice
crane maintains its functionality for all types of ships. A tough working environment
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42 | SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS
VERSATILE SHIP WINS WORK
IN OIL AND OFFSHORE
WIND INDUSTRIES
Primarily intended for work
as a service operation
vessel in the offshore wind
industry, Bibby Marine
Services Bibby WaveMaster
1 is also well suited to
work in the offshore oil and
gas industry, as contracts
already awarded to the
vessel demonstrate
Although primarily designed for offshore
wind work, Bibby WaveMaster 1 can also
support oil and gas operations
D
esigned by Damen and built by
the Dutch groups yard in Galai,
Romania, Bibby WaveMaster 1
completed sea trials in the Black
Sea earlier this year and set sail for the UK,
where it began work on its first project,
supporting offshore construction work
on Innogys Galloper offshore windfarm
off the east coast of England. The vessel
was chartered by James Fisher for three
months (plus options) of work related to
the commissioning of the substation and
turbines on the windfarm.
Having completed work on the
Galloper windfarm, Bibby WaveMaster
1 will transition into the offshore oil
and gas market early in 2018, having
clinched a contract from energy group
Total supporting gas platform work in the
North Sea. Totals Dutch exploration and
production subsidiary has contracted Bibby
WaveMaster 1 from April 2018 to October
2018 to provide accommodation for gas
platform maintenance teams.
Bibby WaveMaster 1s walk-to-work
gangway will be used to connect the

vessel with gas production facilities in the
southern North Sea. In so doing, it will
replace jack-up rigs that would usually have
been used to provide accommodation for
platform maintenance. The service operation
vessel (SOV) can accommodate up to 90
workers and crew. The vessel has a height-
adjustable walk-to-work gangway with a
six-stop elevator for 100% stepless access.
There is a helideck and daughter craft for
various access and support functions.
As highlighted above, Bibby WaveMaster
1 was originally designed and built to
support offshore renewables maintenance
and construction support work, but the
Total contract demonstrates its versatility
for use in the offshore oil and gas sector.
Launched at Damen Shipyards Galai
on 24 March 2017, Bibby WaveMaster
1 is an innovative design that has been
customised in order to ensure that
windfarm technicians or oil and gas
maintenance personnel can directly access
the ships gangway from the warehouse
areas. A helideck, daughter craft and crew
transfer vessel landings (with refuelling)
complement the vessels versatility.
Peter Robert, director business
development and market intelligence at
Damen, explained that the focus of the
design was on providing safe, comfortable
access to far-from-shore windfarms
including, in a worst-case scenario, severe
central North Sea conditions. This resulted
in a vessel capable of providing turbine
access in up to 3.1 m significant wave height
that is able to remain at sea for periods of
up to one month at a time.
Although primarily designed with
offshore wind in mind, the vessel is capable
of a much wider scope of work in a variety
of offshore industries. A range of options
are available including an additional deck
crane with up to a 24-tonne capacity,
tanks arrangements suited to liquids such
as glycols and low flashpoint liquids with
separate delivery intakes and facilities for
dive support and operations with remotely
operated vehicles.
Bibby Marine Services Ltd chief
executive Stephen Blaikie described Bibby
WaveMaster 1 as a custom-designed
service operation vessel with walk-to-work
access and 60 high-quality accommodation
berths. He said the companys aim was
to enable offshore wind operators to
work more efficiently, more safely and in
maximum comfort for periods of up to 30
days at a time.
The vessel is built on a stable DP2
platform so it offers a very high level of
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
The hullform used in the new vessel was
optimised to reduce slamming and enhance
operation of the ships bow thrusters
operability, said Mr Blaikie. It will provide
safe offshore transfers for personnel by way
of a motion compensated access system.
Equipment will be securely transferred by
way of a heave compensated offshore-rated
knuckleboom crane, he said.
Mr Blaikie said working efficiency is one
of the key drivers behind the design of the
vessel. The space inside has been carefully
planned in terms of storage, workflow and
logistics to ensure that the movement of
both people and goods is smartly optimised,
and the ship will also be as green as
possible, with minimal emissions and low
fuel consumption.
Comfort is also paramount, and the
vessel will have Comfort Class 2 standard
accommodation with all of the 60 en-
suite berths equipped with TV, wifi and
leisure facilities. As well as offering a high
standard of living, the vessel hullform
has been designed with comfort in mind,
ensuring exceptional seakeeping abilities
and minimising motion sickness to ensure
technicians are fit for work.
Mr Robert describes the new unit as
much more than just a vessel. He sees
it as a total access and accommodation
solution. He highlighted the fact that the
development of the design started with a
blank sheet of paper, as opposed to being
an evolved version of an existing design. It
has been tailored specifically to the needs
of the offshore wind industry and designed
specifically for the conditions it will
encounter in the North Sea, he said.
SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS | 43
Its length, breadth and draught all
reflect the metocean data we have studied
in the area that it is likely to encounter
in UK Round 3 projects, he explained.
At 90 m, the hull is longer than that of a
conventional platform supply vessel (PSV )
as used in the offshore oil and gas sector,
from which some SOV designs are derived,
and the bow section has been lowered by
1.5 m to create a V shape.
This feature offers significantly
reduced slamming and facilitates
inclusion and improved offshore operation
of the bow thrusters. The aft ship has been
adapted specifically to the tasks that the
vessel is designed for, including stern to
waves operation.
The most pronounced features that
have been included are the strong V shape
in the frames in the aft ship to reduce
slamming and the concentration of volume
in the mid-ship region to achieve a slender
aft ship. Mr Robert says both features
should make stern-to-weather operations
more comfortable than on a vessel derived
from a conventional PSV design.
As Mr Robert also explained,
ergonomic design sees the interior
spaces grouped together into similar task
areas. This not only separates clean and
dirty tasks but ensures short lines of
communication and eases workflow. The
accommodation has been placed in the
midships area for additional comfort the
location reducing vertical acceleration by as
much as 15%. OSJ
44 | SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS
Walk-to-work support ship combines
high-level operability and comfort
July 2017 saw construction of the hull of Acta Marines Ulstein SX195
walk-to-work vessel pass the halfway mark at Crist shipyard in Poland
T
he completed hull of Acta Marine's latest evssel is due to
be towed from Crist to Ulstein Verft in Ulsteinvik, Norway,
early in November 2017. Ulstein Verft will outfit the vessel
and install equipment such as a motion compensated gangway and
3D crane. Delivery of the vessel to Acta Marine is slated for the end
of Q1 2018.
The dynamic positioning class 2 (DP2) construction support
vessel is primarily aimed at the offshore wind market but will
also be capable of providing support from offshore oil and gas
installations and is a new design from Ulstein Design & Solutions.
We are expanding our services for offshore wind. The
SX195 design with the X-STERN hullform, integrated walk-to-
work gangway system, 3D motion compensated crane and
accommodation represents our next step in responding to the
market, said Acta Marine's managing director Rob Boer.
The company emphasised the vessels flexibility, winter
workability, ability to provide safe transfer of people and cargo,
optimised onboard logistics and high level of comfort for those
on board the vessel. All of the accommodation areas have been
designed with the idea that rested personnel are productive
personnel, said the company. A total of 80 cabins will provide
best-in-class comfort levels, complemented by a buffet style
restaurant, multifunction recreation room, sauna and fitness area.
Smart connectivity options will allow personnel to bring their own
devices onboard for access to the internet and video-on-demand
services anywhere on board.
Acta Marines newbuild has the Ulstein X-BOW and X-STERN,
conferring a high level of seakeeping and operability
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
The vessel is 93.4 m in length with a breadth of 18m and can
accommodate up to 120 people in 80 cabins. It will be equipped
with a dynamic motion compensated gangway system from SMST
in the Netherlands mounted on an integrated tower with height
adjustment and a personnel/cargo lift.
Acta Marines new walk-to-work unit will alsohave an indoor
cargo area of 500 m2 plus 500 m2 on deck and will be able to
provide walk-to-work transfer of personnel and cargo in significant
wave heights of up to 3.0 m. A total of 24 twenty-foot equivalent
units can be stored on the two deck levels, allowing clients to
take all the equipment necessary for longer offshore campaigns,
giving the vessel the ability to operate without returning to port for
approximately 30 days.
Describing the offshore access system it is providing for the
vessel, SMST Designers and Constructors in the Netherlands
which is also providing a 3D motion compensated crane for the
ship said the system as the first of its kind and said it offers
a complete solution for offshore logistics. The gangway will be
mounted on an integrated tower with height adjustment and a lift
for personnel and cargo. It will provide a complete package with
an elevator and access bridge trolley system. The trolley system
will allow pallets carrying cargo to be transported onto the elevator,
which can stop at different levels to optimise the performance of
the vessel. The 3D motion compensated crane will have a lifting
capacity of 6 tonnes. Capable of working over both sides of the
vessel, the gangway and tower will enable personnel from different
deck levels to make their way to it without exposing them to the
weather. The gangway is also capable of lifting cargo up to 1 tonne
with motion compensation and will be able to handle trolleys and
euro pallets of up to 300kg.
SMST describes the combination of the access system
and crane as a modular set-up that maximises utilisation and
performance whilst focusing on safety and efficient transfer of
cargo and personnel. In offshore mode, the crane will be capable
of lifting 10 tonnes without compensation and 6 tonnes with
compensation. At maximum draught, it will have a lifting height
above water level of 26 m.
Thanks to the combined X-BOW and X-STERN configuration,
it will have a particularly high level of operational flexibility
when operating at an offshore windfarm or an offshore oil and
gas installation. In particular, the X-STERN will allow for astern
operations more than 70% of the time, significantly enhancing
stationkeeping and manoeuvrability around turbines. The hullform
will also experience substantially less slamming and hence lower
levels of noise and vibrations and increased crew comfort. OSJ
 Service Operation Vessels
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Service operation vessel
is a first for owner and designer
Demand for vessels capable of accommodating offshore wind technicians and
enabling them to walk to work using a motion-compensated offshore access
system is growing, as contracts awarded to stensj Rederi in 2016 demonstrate
O
n 27 April 2017,
Gondn shipyard
launched Edda
Passat, the first
of two service operation
vessels (SOVs) it is building
for Norwegian shipowner
stensj Rederi. Both SOVs
are being built to the UT 540
WP design by Rolls-Royce
Marine, this being the first
Rolls-Royce design for the
fast-growing offshore wind
energy industry.
The vessels will be equipped
with an Uptime 23 m heave
compensated walk-to-work
gangway, a 3D motion
compensated crane and a
crew transfer vessel handling
system with bunkering facility.
In addition to the gangway,
an 11 m daughter craft will
allow for the safe transfer of
maintenance technicians to
offshore wind turbines. Once
completed, the first vessel will
be chartered to Dong Energy.
The second vessel it has under
construction is also for Dong
Energy and will service the
Hornsea Project One offshore
windfarm in the UK.
The first newbuild is a
dynamic positioning class 2
(DP2) SOV with excellent
station keeping capability. It
will have 60 single cabins and
accommodate up to 40 wind
turbine technicians in addition
to a marine crew of 20. The
81.10 m vessel will have a beam
of 17.0 m and work out of an
operations base in Grimsby on
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
stensj Rederis venture into the offshore wind energy industry
has seen it awarded two contracts for SOVs for Dong Energy
the east coast of the UK. It was
designed by Rolls-Royce in close
co-operation with stensj
Rederi and Astilleros Gondn
in Spain, who are building it.
F3 Offshore in Germany was
engaged by stensj Rederi to
act as the broker for the deal.
The contract for the
first vessel was placed after
stensj Rederi was awarded
a contract to provide an SOV
for Dong Energys Race Bank
offshore windfarm in the UK.
The contract awarded to the
company by Dong Energy is for
five years firm with five optional
years. Commencement is 1
September 2017.
Describing its first venture
into the SOV market, Rolls-
Royce said the vessel was
designed with a focus on
seakeeping capability, excellent
station-keeping performance,
improved comfort and safety
on board and reduced fuel
SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS | 47
to work on the wind turbines
consumption. As well as
designing the vessel, Rolls-Royce
will supply the diesel-electric
main machinery, consisting of
frequency controlled electric
driven azimuth thrusters,
super-silent mounted transverse
thrusters, DP2 dynamic
positioning system, power
electrical system, deck machinery
and the latest generation Acon
automation and control system.
The SOV will operate from
a new offshore wind hub in
Grimsby. The new SOV will
initially support operation and
maintenance of Race Bank,
which is under construction
17 miles off the Norfolk and
Lincolnshire coastlines. Some
components needed to maintain
wind turbines will be stored in
a warehouse on the hub site.
Other equipment will arrive
from manufacturers on a just in
time basis to be loaded onto the
new vessel.
Once mobilised, the SOV
will spend up to 28 consecutive
days on station at the windfarm,
where it will be able to service
six to eight wind turbines each
day. Crews of technicians from
Dong Energy and turbine
supplier Siemens will work on
a two weeks on, two weeks off
shift pattern.
With the SOV in position,
technicians will walk safely to
work from the vessels deck
using the motion compensated
gangway, thus removing the
need to climb up and down
vertical access ladders as
happens when traditional crew
transfer vessels push on to
the foundation of a turbine.
The SOVs will incorporate a
containerised warehouse for the
storage of equipment spares,
tools and consumables.
Below the weather deck aft
is a large area for containerised
loads and stores. Their floors
are level with the main deck,
which is strengthened for
forklift truck operation. Close
attention has been paid to
logistics and workflow in the
vessel design. Technicians leave
their cabins, eat breakfast in
the messroom, then go along a
short route to the work area to
put on protective equipment.
They then collect trolleys of
equipment needed for the days
task, which have been pre-
prepared, before taking the lift
up and walking to work over
the gangway. OSJ
48 | RENEWABLES SERVICE VESSELS

Renewables service vessel takes

Multi Cat concept in new direction
Damen in the Netherlands has been building Multi Cat workboats for years the latest
evolution of the design is a workhorse specifically intended for the renewables industry

D
amen recently delivered the first example of
itsrenewables service vessel (RSV) 3315, a new
design developed in close co-operation with Scottish
company Delta Marine for work in the offshore wind
industry. Delta Marine took delivery of its first Damen vessel 12
years ago, and the Shetland-based company now has four Damen
Multi Cat vessels in its fleet as well as one it manages.
The first in the new series was named Voe Vanguard at Damen
Shipyards Hardinxveld. A week later, Voe Vanguard was off to its
first offshore windfarm, the Walney Extension project.
Jos van Woerkum, managing director of Damen Shipyards
Hardinxveld, said the Dutch company has been working on the
design of the vessel with Delta Marine since 2013. Delta Marine
gave us a sketch and outlined their requirements, and I think
Damen has built exactly what they wanted, he said. I think the
renewables service vessel has the potential to be a big success for
Damen once it has proved itself in the market.
The RSV 3315 designcan undertake all duties normally expected
of a Multi Cat but also has a spacious, unobstructed deck, class 2
dynamic positioning (DP2) and dedicated four-point mooring.
The Dutch ship designer and builder describes the evolved
Multi Cat as a serious workhorse with powerful propulsion
generating a bollard pull of 42 tonnes whilst remaining under
500 gt. Added to this is a standard outfit of cranes and winches.
With the option of DP2, a four-point mooring system, two good Voe Vanguard first started work on the Walney Extension
size cranes and hydraulic shark jaws with guide pins, the vessel offshore windfarm
is designed to be able to undertake a wide range of duties. An
AHT winch can be deployed over both stern and bow. Safety and
visibility were key design guidelines along with the largest possible
deck space, enabling the RSV 3315 to load equipment, carousels stern thruster. It is also very flexible, with a shallow draught of only
or remotely operated vehicles or be used as a walk-to-work vessel. 2.6 m. The two aft azimuths can swing up into the hull, and we can
The foredeck provides room for containers. easily switch from DP1 to DP2 mode, said Delta Marine.
David McNaugthan, Delta Marine general manager, says the In addition, Voe Vanguard has two powerful cranes, one of
decision to invest in a vessel specifically tailored for renewables which has a capacity of 15 tonnes with an outreach of 20 m. With
was taken around four years ago. We knew at Damen we get a these, we can carry and lift an awful lot for a wide variety of tasks.
good project and good quality backup. The vessel has comfortable accommodation for 18 crew.
We were particularly interested in having DP2 capability. This Delta Marine said the DP2 system is very important for our
vessel is suitable for offshore wind but also for tidal projects, where clients and every single job is crying out for DP2.
it can stay in position using DP in some pretty strong currents, said What other advantages does Voe Vanguard have? It also
the owner. benefits from the same broad back deck associated with a Multi
Delta Marine and Damen adapted the traditional Multi Cat Cat, and it has a decent turn of speed, having a transit speed of 10
design by moving the wheelhouse forward and leaving the aft deck knots. It is also very flexible. With two switchboards for redundancy,
open. Additionally, it was important to make sure the vessel was it is possible to operate all four thrusters from a single engine if
under the 500 gt mark to keep costs down. need be, and it is a genuine, go-anywhere unit, able to operate in
The vessel is diesel-electric and has four azimuths with a large shallow water when required. OSJ

Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com

 OFFSHORE

FCS 7011: INTEGRATED CREW

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The FCS 7011 brings a new long-distance class capable of servicing large platforms
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Final Ramform surveyor
will be a profitable powerhouse
The marine seismic market has been in the doldrums for the last two or three years, but as the
market recovers, so PGS believes it has the best possible assets in its fleet to undertake larger and
more complex next-generation surveys
R
amform Hyperion, the final ship in
PGSs newbuild programme, was
launched in March 2017 and, like
the other Ramform ships the company
operates, provides an enormously stable
platform with outstanding seakeeping
characteristics that is capable of taking full
advantage of the companys proprietary
GeoStreamer technology.
Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
in Nagasaki, Japan, the vessel was
delivered to PGS this summer. Able to
undertake almost any type of seismic
acquisition, the key to the Ramform ships
productivity is its high level of installed
power, capacity and redundancy, which
are the keys to maximising seismic data
production. Redundant twin enginerooms
provide a total power of 26.4 megawatts
to drive three 6,000 kW controllable
pitch propellers. The vessel can tow
a full spread of dual-sensor recording
equipment using just two of them.
Equipment failure is expensive, there is
plenty of redundancy, said PGS of the design
of the new vessel. Big boats burn more fuel,
but large efficient operations require fewer
vessel hours to complete a project.
On the Ramform Titan class, a fuel-
efficient acquisition speed of 5 knots
can be maintained while towing multiple
sources and 15 km2 of submerged
recording and positioning equipment.
Endurance in transit is 120 days and in
full operation is up to 100 days. In remote
locations, this can make an important
difference to project safety margins and
access to high-quality, low-cost fuel.
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
There is also less exposure to risk and
fewer emissions.
The Ramform Titan-class vessel has
24 streamer reels, 16 abreast with a
further eight in a second row. This permits
flexibility and efficient acquisition of high-
volume exploration 3D or high-density 3D
or 4D and anything in between.
The back deck layout is augmented
by six independent source array handling
booms. Together, this arsenal of equipment
enables faster deployment and recovery
with increased flexibility and safety, making it
possible to fully utilise the ships operational
weather window. Steerable sources and
streamers and automated gear-handling
systems also contribute to the flexibility
and effectiveness of this flagship vessel.
Two stern-launched workboats permit
safe streamer maintenance in marginal
weather, and marine and seismic equipment
maintenance can increasingly be carried out
at sea without adversely affecting operations.
The ships drydocking interval is 7.5 years.
Like the other Ramform ships PGS
operates, Ramform Hyperion is based on
the Ramform hullform created by Roar
Ramde in the early 1990s and taken to its
ultimate expression by the Ramform Titan-
class vessels.
Ramform Hyperion completes our
newbuild programme and increases the
productivity of our fleet, said PGS executive
vice president of operations Per Arild
Reksnes. The four Ramform Titan-class
vessels and the two Ramform S-class vessels
make up our core fleet of high-end units.
They can tow more streamers than any other
SEISMIC SURVEY VESSELS | 51
Ramform Hyperion is the
final ship in PGS extensive
newbuilding programme
vessel and handle extremely wide streamer
spreads. Hence, surveys can be tailor-made
to meet our customers needs, be it the
highest possible data quality or the most
efficient coverage of a large exploration area."
Ramform Hyperion along with its sister
vessel Ramform Tethys are the most
powerful seismic acquisition vessels in
the world and merge advanced vessel
design with the imaging capabilities of
the companys GeoStreamer seismic
acquisition technology.
The 70 m broad stern allows ample
space for the streamer reels, 16 of which
are aligned abreast with the remaining
eight further forward, with capacity for 12
km streamers on each reel. Increased work
space and advanced equipment handling
means safer and more robust operations.
For PGS and its clients, safe, rapid
deployment and retrieval of equipment as
well as greater operational capacity will
translate into faster completion of surveys
and increased uptime in marginal weather.
After six years of construction and four
completed vessels, the company is happy
with its hand and has no plans to build
more vessels in the foreseeable future.
PGSs outgoing CEO and president Jon Erik
Reinhardsen said the company only invests
capital in newbuilds when differentiation
can be achieved over a substantial part of
the vessels useful life, in order to maximise
return on the investment.
We believe Ramform Hyperion and
the three other Ramform Titan-class
vessels are examples of such unique
assets, he concluded. OSJ
52 | MINING VESSELS
Seabed mining ship is derived
from proven offshore design
WHAT IS CLAIMED TO BE THE WORLDS
LARGEST AND MOST ADVANCED DIAMOND
EXPLORATION AND SAMPLING VESSEL,
NUJOMA, IS READY TO START EXPLORING
FOR DEPOSITS IN NAMIBIAN WATERS
C
onstructed by
Kleven shipyard in
Ulsteinvik, Norway, to
the MT 6022 design
from Marin Teknikk and fitted
with its subsea sampling system,
De Beers new mining vessel will
enable Debmarine Namibia, a
50/50 joint venture between the
government of the Republic of
Namibia and De Beers Group,
to explore diamond deposits and
secure diamond supply in the
country well into the future.
Debmarine Namibia is the
only company in the world to
mine diamonds offshore,
having started doing so in 2002.
The company produced around
1.2 million carats in 2016.
Mining of Namibias diamonds
The basic design of Nujoma is derived from an offshore support
vessel, but it has been fitted with highly specialised mining gear
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
some of the most valuable
in the world takes place at
depths of 120140 m. Diamond
mining is the single biggest
contributor to Namibias
economy, and the partnership
between De Beers and the
Namibian government delivers
more than N$10Bn (US$777
million) in revenue annually.
The highly specialised and
technologically advanced diamond
exploration and sampling vessel
will become the sixth ship in the
Debmarine Namibia fleet (it is
named after Namibias founding
president Dr Sam Nujoma). The
contract to build the ship was
initially announced in October
2014 but subject to final approval
by May 2015. Construction got
underway once funding had been
secured from two local banks,
Standard Bank Namibia and
RMB Namibia, a division of the
First National Bank of Namibia.
The banks covered 75% of the
project cost.
Otto Shikongo, chief
executive officer of Debmarine
Namibia, said he was proud that
three Namibian entities have
undertaken to make the project
a reality for the long-term
benefit of all our stakeholders
and the nation at large.
Namibias minister of mines
and energy, Obeth Kandjoze,
said the delivery of the vessel
was an important milestone for
offshore diamond mining in
Namibia. Nujoma represents the
largest ever capital investment
in underwater diamond mining
and will ensure a long-term,
sustainable future for offshore
diamond mining in Namibia, as
well as creating important new
jobs for Namibians, he said.
Bruce Cleaver, CEO of
De Beers Group, explained
that offshore diamond mining
is becoming increasingly
important in meeting global
demand for diamonds as many
of the major onshore deposits
have now been discovered. He
said Nujoma will allow even
more of Namibias high-quality
offshore diamonds to be
discovered and mined, ensuring
a strong future for Namibias
diamond industry, as well as the
global diamond market.
As with other Debmarine
Namibia vessels, Nujoma will
remain operational exploring
for diamonds for long
periods up to three years
before returning to port for
maintenance. The vessel will use
a range of unique technologies
that allow it to sample faster,
take larger samples and collect
more information per sample
than any other diamond-
sampling vessel. It is capable of
sampling at more than double
the speed of its predecessor. The
12,000 tonne, diesel-electric
powered vessel is 113 m long,
can accommodate a crew of
80 and has a helicopter deck
suitable for Sikorsky S61s.
Being based on Marin
Teknikks MT 6022 design,
the basic design of the vessel
is already well proven in the
offshore construction vessel
segment, but the newbuild for
De Beers will include a wide
range of tailor-made equipment
and features, highlighting the
Norwegian designers ability to
tailor vessels to meet the specific
requirements of its customers.
The seabed mining unit
was a departure for Marin
Teknikk but not the only new
type of vessel it has moved into
designing. Best known for the
design of subsea vessels, dive
support ships, platform supply
vessels and anchor handlers for
the offshore oil and gas industry,
in recent years, it has also
secured contracts for the design
of expedition yachts. Among
the most recent offshore support
ship deliveries based on an MT
design was the MT 6021 Mk II
Olympic Delta, which was built
for Olympic in Norway.
The vessel is 94 m long
and is equipped with an active
heave compensated subsea
crane. The work deck is 900 m2
and has a 6 m x 6 m moonpool.
The vessel has accommodation
for 80 people and is aimed at
the inspection, maintenance
and repair and renewables
markets. OSJ

ISV design is customised to work
with LNG and FLNG carriers
July 2017 saw the first examples of a new class of support ship an infield support vessel
or ISV mobilise to go to work with Shells Prelude floating liquefied natural gas unit
KT Maritimes ISVs can justifiably
claim to be the first of a new breed
P
erth-based KT
Maritime Services
Australia, a joint
venture between
Kotug International and Teekay
Shipping Australia, is providing
the Prelude floating liquefied
natural gas (FLNG) unit
with three 42 m, 100-tonne
bollard pull ISVs. The tugs are
of Robert Allans advanced
rotor tug ART 100-42 design
and were built by ASL Marine
Holdings. The ISVs have
Robert Allans RAstar hullform
and three separate azimuth
propulsion units two astern and
one amidships that comprise
the rotor tug power system
technology pioneered by Kotug.
The primary roles assigned
to KT Maritimes ISVs
include assisting LNG carriers
approaching the Prelude FLNG
and when LNG and LPG is
offloaded via a side-by-side
vessel configuration using
specially designed cryogenic
loading arms. Although this
is an operation that is similar
www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review
in some respects to normal
berthing of LNG tankers, the
unsheltered environmental
conditions and impact of waves
at the FLNG location can be a
challenge. Apart from berthing
and assisting LNG tankers, the
ISVs also have a number of
secondary roles for which they
are responsible, including safety
standby, evacuation, personnel
transfer and surveillance.
Speaking to OSJ earlier
this year, Osman Munir, KT
Maritimes director commercial/
Kotugs chief commercial officer,
explained that LNG tankers
will have to berth alongside the
FLNGs manifolds to take on
the LNG produced on board.
Although this is an operation
similar to normal berthing of
LNG tankers, this is usually
carried out in sheltered waters.
In the procedure developed
by KT Maritime for this kind of
operation, an amended push-pull
method has been developed. Two
of the ISVs, sailing stern first,
establish a towline connection,
INFIELD SUPPORT VESSELS | 53
one at the bow and one at the
stern. The tanker is brought
alongside the FLNG, and the
tugs move in to the side of the
tanker in order to push it against
the side of the FLNG. Pushing
against the side with standard
stern drive tugs can only be done
in good weather conditions.
Maintaining an acceptable
footprint with a stern drive tug
would be impossible in adverse
conditions, with the increased
risk of damage to the tugs fender
and the LNG carriers hull. In the Prelude FLNG facility,
contrast, with the rotor tug,
if the significant wave height
increases, the unique propulsion
configuration enables it to
maintain position whilst applying
force against the hull of the
tanker in the designated area.
For work in increased wave
heights, KT Maritime has also
proposed an alternative procedure,
known as rotoring or indirect
towing, which will be used when
required on the Prelude contract.
This particular technique sees
the rotor tugs assisting the LNG
carrier on a short wire length.
The tugs stay connected centre
forward and centre aft on a short
wire, and the tugs then push
against the short tow line. They
do not need to be repositioned
to transfer forces onto the tanker.
This alternative procedure
mitigates the risk of damaging
the hull of the LNG carrier and
is only possible with the unique
rotor tug configuration.
In the event of an
emergency on board the
FLNG, personnel will be able
to make their way safely to
temporary refuge sites on the
vessel via multiple escape routes
forward and aft. They can then
be evacuated from the facility
in a controlled manner using
helicopters, freefall lifeboats
and integrated chute-based
liferafts. Once evacuated, they
can be recovered by the ISVs.
Each of these tugs will be able
to accommodate 85 people in
such situations.
The ISVs are the most
powerful and sophisticated
rotor tugs in the world and
were purpose built to support
which is located in the Prelude
and Concerto gas fields in the
Browse LNG Basin 200 km off
the coast of Australia.
Ard-Jan Kooren, director
of KT Maritime and acting
CEO of Kotug, described the
introduction into service of the
vessels as a historic moment
for KT Maritime. With the
development of FLNGs, natural
gas production is moving in a
new direction, and our new ISVs
are at the vanguard to support
that development, he said. OSJ
 Specialists in the manufacture of structures and equipment
used in the renewable energy, marine and offshore oil &
gas industries, primarily for pipe, umbilical and cable laying.
Since 2013 we have successfully manufactured and installed
twenty six carousel systems (1500T to 7000T Capacity), with
ancillary equipment including 15T & 30T tensioners,
chutes and over-boarding systems.

2017 NEWS
Marine Fabricators Ltd have recently completed equipment
supply & installation at Kleven Verft in Norway on behalf
of MAATS Tech Ltd, on the CLV Victoria (formerly the ABB
Victoria) for which we supplied two cable Carousels (7000t
& 4500t Capacity), 2 No 45t Tensioners, 1 No Spooling
system, loading arm & associated roller pathways/chutes &
a Underbender.
We are currently working for MAATS Tech Ltd on DEMEs
new build multipurpose vessel Living Stone. Equipment
was fabricated at our site on Teesside and shipped to
Bilbao, where we are installing two 5000t capacity Cable
carousels & associated equipment.

Bays 1-7, Unit 1, Haverton Hill Shipyard, Haverton Hill, Stockton-on-Tees TS23 1PZ
t: +44 1642 565646 f: +44 1642 565687
www.marinefabricators.co.uk

OSJC17
 CREWBOATS | 55

HIGH LEVEL REDUNDANCY ENSURES

BIG CAT CAN COMPLETE TRANSFERS

I Similar in design and

n 2014 and 2016 respectively, Muslim Magomayev and Rashid Behbudov.
Incat Tasmania and Austal Limited The main deck cabin houses individual
in Australia delivered two large concept of operation to two reclining seats for 90 personnel, with
crewboats to Caspian Marine large catamarans built for luggage racks and a medical treatment
Services. At 70 m length, the Incat room. Forward of this cabin is crew
Crowther designs were the first of a new
the crewboat market in the accommodation, consisting of galley and
type for the region, combining large size Caspian, Pacific Kestrel is mess, laundry and access to the hulls.
and passenger-carrying capacity with an a large, fast unit that can The mid-deck houses a further
offshore access system. 10 cabins, all with bathrooms. The
More recently, another Incat Crowther
compete with helicopters to wheelhouse is situated on the third deck,
design, Pacific Kestrel, was delivered to transport personnel offshore with forward and aft control stations and
Swire Pacific Offshore by Austal Shipyards a ships office. All accommodation spaces
facility in the Philippines. At 57 m, Pacific comply with MLC 96/ILO 92 guidelines.
Kestrel is somewhat smaller than Muslim The vessel also has search and rescue
Magomayev and Rashid Behbudov, the capability with a fast rescue craft and a
vessels built for Caspian Marine Services, chemical dispersant system for oil spill
but the vessels concept of operations is response capability.
very similar, and like the 70 m units, the Featuring Incat Crowthers proven
new ship has an offshore access system semi-small waterplane area twin-hull
from Ampelmann in the Netherlands. (semi-SWATH) hullform, the vessel is fast
All three vessels are intended as robust, and efficient. Fitted with a powertrain
versatile and cost-efficient alternatives consisting of four MTU 16V4000 main
to transporting offshore personnel by BELOW: Pacific Kestrel shares the engines, driving Hamilton HT810 waterjets,
air. Incat Crowther describes them as same concept of operations as Muslim Pacific Kestrel met its contractual loaded
fast, efficient crew transfer vessels Magomayev and Rashid Behbudov service speed of 40 knots in sea trials. OSJ
that act as cost-efficient alternatives to
aviation transport. For his part, David
Singleton, Austals chief executive officer,
noted that, replacing more expensive
helicopter transfers from early 2017,
Pacific Kestrel and similar vessels like
Muslim Magomayev and Rashid Behbudov
have enabled what he described as the
introduction of new concepts of operations
in the offshore crew transfer market.
Pacific Kestrel is capable of 40 knots
and of transporting 90 personnel plus cargo
to offshore platforms in up to sea state 6.
The vessel has a large aft 200 m2 cargo
deck with integrated structural mounts
and onboard support systems for the
Ampelmann motion compensated gangway,
which is designed to facilitate the safe
transfer of personnel to offshore platforms.
Aided by a DP2 dynamic positioning
system, the vessel is able to hold station in
rough weather to facilitate crew transfers
with a high level of redundancy, even
in the event of a main engine, thruster
or individual system failure. A similar
approach to redundancy was taken on

www.osjonline.com Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review

56 | LOGISTICS VESSELS
Ro-ro vessels take lifting and cost
out of turbine transportation
Two new roro vessels chartered to Siemens
Wind Power are playing an important part
helping the company to reduce costs
U
ntil recently an industry that relied on subsidies,
offshore wind energy has experienced a massive
reduction in costs in the last two to three years.
Much of this reduction in costs is accounted for by
the development and introduction into service of a new generation
of much larger offshore wind turbines by companies such as
Siemens Wind Power, but the new larger turbines are not easy
to transport, forcing companies such as Siemens to look at new
logistics concepts.
Due to enter operation this summer, Siemens new nacelle
assembly facility in Cuxhaven, Germany, is the latest in a number
of investments that the turbine builder has made in offshore
wind that also include its new blade-manufacturing facility in the
northeast of England.
We are working all the time on cost strategy targets, said
Michael Hannibal, CEO offshore at Siemens Wind Power. We
have steadily reduced production costs year by year. The whole
industry is engaged in a massive cost-reduction effort, whether
you are talking about developers or operations and maintenance.
It is equally important that, as an OEM, we take waste out of the
industry and reduce overall costs in the process.
In due course, Cuxhaven will become the hub for nacelles for
Rotra Vente is the
first of two ro-ro vessels
designed to transport
nacelles, towers and
blades for Siemens
Offshore Support Journal | October 2017, Annual Review www.osjonline.com
Siemens offerings in the wind industry, at which the company will
concentrate manufacturing of nacelles. We have three facilities
building nacelles for direct drive offshore wind turbines, Mr Hannibal
said. In the future, we will have one purpose-built facility doing what
three were doing. Offshore turbines are getting bigger and bigger,
he notes, and to build, store and then transport them cost-effectively,
ever-greater focus is required on how that it is achieved.
The new production facility at Cuxhaven is part of the solution
and allows heavy components to be loaded directly on vessels,
avoiding the need for expensive ground transportation. Another
part of the solution is Rotra Vente, the first of a pair of vessels that
were designed to cost-effectively transport nacelles and other
components used in Siemens large, direct drive turbines.
With Rotra Vente, we are stepping into a new era of cost-
efficient offshore wind logistics, said Mr Hannibal. When our new
factories in Hull in the UK and Cuxhaven are fully operational and
both roro vessels are in service, we expect savings of 1520% in
our logistics costs compared to current transport procedures.
Siemens Wind Power took delivery of Rotra Vente in November
2016. A second vessel, Rotra Mare, followed in the spring of 2017,
and with these dedicated assets in service, Siemens is effectively
operating its own North Sea shuttle service, shipping components
for offshore wind turbines between its factories and the ports
handling and loading installation vessels.
The vessels were purpose-designed and built for the
restrictions and challenges associated with the ports Siemens uses
but, more importantly, were designed and built to handle heavy
offshore wind turbine modules, each separately weighing up to
400 tonnes, in as efficient a manner as possible.
The roro concept provides safe and effective handling, rolling
components on and off the vessels and to and from loading
quays at the ports involved, eliminating the need for heavy-lifting
operations and large cranes and lifting equipment.
Following a year-long tendering and negotiation process,
Siemens Wind Power signed a contract for the delivery of the
vessels with deugro Danmark in September 2015. With both
vessels in service, Siemens can safely handle thousands of heavy
turbine modules. Over the next three years, it needs to deliver
more than 800 wind turbines to sites around the North Sea.
At 141 m long, Rotra Vente can carry multiple 8 megawatt
nacelles. The vessel can also transport up to nine tower sections
per trip or three to four sets of rotor blades, depending on what
else is being transported. Rotra Mare is nearly identical to Rotra
Vente but is configured to transport towers and blades rather than
nacelles and can accommodate up to 12 wind rotor blades.
We are proud to operate Rotra Vente for Siemens. This
vessel marks a new milestone in the close co-operation we have
maintained for years, said Richard Thomsen, managing director
of deugro, the project freight-forwarding division of the deugro
Group. OSJ
VROON OFFSHORE
SERVICES
CONNECTING MARKETS

VROON OFFSHORE SERVICES excels in the provision of diverse

services and solutions for key offshore-support needs, including
platform supply, emergency response and rescue, anchor handling
tug supply, walk to work and subsea support.
With a versatile fleet of approximately 100 vessels and 2,400 highly qualified
and experienced colleagues, we are committed to providing safe, reliable and
cost-effective services.
Find us on:
Vroon Offshore Services is an international operator with a strong geographical
presence in North Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Indian Ocean
and Asian regions.

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