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Stolt Offshore-Sapura JV to operate newbuild deepwater construction vessel continued from frontpage. Norwegian offshore services group Acergy (ACY.OL: Quote, Profile, Research) has won a $400 million contract from Brazilian oil firm Petrobras to install a gas pipeline from the Mexilhao field offshore Brazil. "The contract ... is for the installation of 120 km of 34 inch diameter pipeline from an offshore platform in the Mexilhao field to shore at Caraguatatuba, south of Rio de Janeiro," Acergy said in a statement on Tuesday. The "Acergy Piper" pipelay vessel will be deployed for the project, which is due to begin in the first quarter of 2008. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stolt Offshore has entered into a co-operation agreement to establish a joint venture (JV) with SapuraCrest Petroleum, the leading Malaysian oil service company, to take over the build and operation of Sapura 3000, a new-build heavy lift and pipelay vessel designed to be the most advanced deepwater construction ship in the growing Asia Pacific region. Incorporation of the joint venture is subject to Malaysian governmental approval, which is expected by the end of 2005, and finalisation of documentation. Sapura 3000 is a US$200 million new-build dynamically positioned derrick pipelay vessel, with dual capabilities for conventional shallow water pipelay and very deepwater construction projects. The vessel is presently under construction in China and is planned to be in service in early 2007. SapuraCrest Petroleum has built up a strong market share in the Malaysian conventional construction and pipelay, drilling, survey and maintenance markets and is part of the larger Sapura group of companies. In a statement released on Augist 30th, Stolt Offshore said it believes the deepwater SURF market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow by an average of 15 per cent over the next five years. The company is targeting a number of deepwater construction projects particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia in which the Sapura 3000 would play a major role. The 50/50 JV with SapuraCrest Petroleum will be reported as net income in non-consolidated joint ventures. The financing will be finalised through joint venture borrowings, with a target gearing of 70 per cent, or approximately US$150 million. Once the vessel is in full operation, full year results are expected to add up to US$150 million per annum to Stolt Offshore's revenue level through SURF and deepwater projects. Tom Ehret, Chief Executive Officer, said: "This is a significant move for Stolt Offshore into what will be a leading position in the growing deepwater construction market in the Asia Pacific region. In SapuraCrest, we have found the right partner with outstanding local commercial knowledge and by upgrading the Sapura 3000 initial specification, we are pleased to add Stolt Offshore's deepwater technologies and expertise to this joint venture." "We have a robust business plan to which our partner contributes significantly by means of an annual 150 day charter from a subsidiary of SapuraCrest Petroleum for shallow water work in Malaysian waters. The introduction of the Sapura 3000 into an established conventional market with a small but rapidly growing SURF and deepwater market, in many ways mirrors our introduction of the highly successful Seaway Polaris to the conventional and SURF markets in West Africa," said Mr Ehret. "With the new-build order for the Sapura 3000 having been placed in December 2004, we have found a way to jointly own and operate this vessel without the need of introducing an additional key construction asset to this region. In summary, our joint venture is building the right asset at the right time to give us a unique competitive position in this emerging deepwater market," Ehret concluded. Sapura 3000 vessel specifications: Length 151.2m/Beam 37.8m Builders: Sembawang Shipyard in consortium with Huisman special lifting equipment Crane: mast crane with 3,000 short tons lift capacity Typical pipelay capabilities: Conventional steep S-Lay, with J-Lay for steel catenary risers, 36in pipe in 400m, 20in pipe in 1,500m and 12in pipe in 2,000m. Accommodation for 330 people Dynamic Positioning - Class 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technip Offshore orders 3 HiPAP systems.Technip Offshore (UK) Ltd has placed an order with Kongsberg Maritime Ltd (UK) for three High Precision Acoustic Positioning (HiPAP) systems. These will be installed on three Diving Support Vessels (DSV), CSO Orelia, CSO Wellservicer & CSO Deep Blue. To increase operational efficiency These systems have been ordered to enhance the overall subsea positioning capabilities of the vessels, and will increase operational efficiency during deepwater, subsea construction operations. Wide range of applications HiPAP is a hydroacoustic SSBL (or USBL), towfish tracking system, able to operate in shallow and deepwater areas to proven ranges in excess of 3000 metres. It is a multi-purpose system used for a wide range of applications including towfish & towed platform tracking, DP reference i/p, high accuracy subsea positioning & telemetry and scientific research. Optional enhanced operation is available with Hydroacoustic Aided Inertial Navigation, HAIN, system which increases the HiPAP SSBL positioning accuracy by a factor of up to 300%. This configuration was used during the 2003 survey of the wreck, Prestige, sited at a depth of 3,850m. Key features of HiPAP include: Unique spherical transducer design with up the 241 individual elements Extraneous noise suppression techniques Extremely narrow, ±5degree, listening beams Extreme tracking range capabilities True Multi-User LBL function Comprehensive transponder range to support positioning operations Reference output to Dynamic positioning system Technip Offshore With a workforce of about 19,000 persons Technip Offshore is one of the world’s leading offshore construction companies. It has major contracts in West Africa, Egypt & Gulf of Mexico and is at the forefront of utilising existing and innovative technologies to overcome the barriers to deepwater construction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rigdon Marine gets seismic support contract.Stolt Offshore Announces Settlement of Patent DisputeStolt Offshore S.A. announced that its long running UK litigation with a competitor regarding a European patent covering technology related to the laying of flexible pipes, has been settled out of court.The settlement involves a cash payment by Stolt Offshore in respect of past patent infringements and the granting of a licence under the disputed patent covering the North Sea area. The settlement will not have a material impact on the Company's results for 2004. Tom Ehret, Chief Executive Officer of Stolt Offshore, said, "The satisfactory resolution of the this patent infringement action marks significant progress in our settlement of long outstanding disputes." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOS INNOVATOR ACCUMULATES GOOD SAFETY RECORDSonsub announced that, as of February 10, Sonsub’s HOS Innovator and Innovator 09 ROV Crews have accumulated an impressive 250,000 man-hours and over 1,000 days without a lost time incident (LTI). This exceptional accomplishment is the direct result of the dedication, pride, and work ethics the personnel onboard the HOS Innovator have shown time and again. Sonsub wishes to recognize the great cooperation and attitude of Hornbeck Offshore Services, Delta Catering, and the leadership of Sonsub’s Superintendents Rickie Stier and Conrad Picou. Since it began working for Sonsub in 2001, the vessel has been involved with jumper installations, flying lead installations, mattress installations, touchdown monitoring, pre and post lay surveys, and a variety of other construction related activities. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SWIRE NEWBUILDINGSSwire Pacific Offshore’s new building programme continues with two 10,800 BHP delivering in July and August from INP Heavy Industries in Korea. Pacific Wrestler, a UT710 design vessel, was named on 28th June at INP in Ulsan. The vessel's sponsor was Mrs Jenny Kissane, of New Zealand. The boat delivered on 8th July and sailed for Singapore under the command of Captain Chris Goften with Chief Engineer Carl Wood putting the finishing shine on the new delivery. Its first charter was the tow of the brand new jack up "Atwood Beacon" to a location offshore Sarawak, Malaysia. Pacific Wyvern, the last of the eight UT710s in the fleet was named on 26th July also at the INP yard. The vessel's godmother was Ms Laimon Tam, Managing Director of Swire Resources in Hong Kong. The boat is due to deliver at the end of August, following sea trials. In May, SPO signed a contract for four UT780 design AHTS with Labroy Shipyard of Singapore. The first steel was cut in Labroy's Batam facility on Tuesday 12th August for the initial vessel, Pacific Patriot, which is scheduled for delivery on 10th August 2004. Sister vessels Pacific Pilot, Pacific Pioneer and Pacific Provider will deliver progressively through until March 2005 This class of vessel is conceived for jackup drilling and production support. The specification calls for 60 tonnes bollard pull, 4,825 BHP main engines and 315 square metres of clear deck. The vessels will be equipped with 150 tonne line pull double drum Brattvaag anchor handling and towing winch, shark's jaws and both liquid mud and dry bulk capacity. One bow thruster and one stern thruster will provide improved station keeping over older tonnage. The design augments the success of the "S" and "R" class in the fleet, but is designed to offer clients value for money for exploration and production activities only, rather than the additional DP and ROV support capacities which the higher specification UT719s and UT738s offer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "LANEY CHOUEST" STRONGEST THERE IS!!Edison Chouest Offshore, Galliano, La., recently launched the 348'x72'x31' DP2 anchor-handling tug/supply vessel Laney Chouest.The largest and most powerful anchor-handling, towing and supply vessel in the world. To support deepwater operations, which may take place more than 100 miles offshore, new generation service vessels have to be powerful, stable platforms with the ability to carry ample amounts of cargo, liquid and dry bulk mud, ballast and rig water, fuel, equipment and crew. The Laney Chouest fits the bill. Built for suction pile/anchor handling operations, it is 348 ft x 72 ft x 31 ft, with a gross tonnage of 5,900 and deadweight of 7,400 LT. It will have a fuel oil capacity of 394,260 gal, liquid mud capacity of 4,460 bbl (with 3,866 bbl spare capacity), and ballast/rig water capacity of 613,400 gal. Your father's 180-foot-long offshore supply vessel, incidentally, would fit nicely on the Laney Chouest's aft deck, which measures 183.6 ft x 56 ft with a clear deck area of 10,276 ft2. Its propulsion machinery includes four 6M43 MAK diesel engines that produce 7,250 bhp each for a total of 29,000 bhp. It will have a speed of 17 knots at normal design draft and accommodations for 58. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ORMEN LANGE PIPELAYING CONTRACTS AWARDEDOrmen Lange pipeline installation contracts worth NOK 3.5 billion awarded The Ormen Lange license group have awarded pipeline installation contracts to Stolt Offshore AS and Allseas Marine Contractors S.A. – valued, respectively, at approximately NOK 2 billion and NOK 1.5 billion, including options. Stolt Offshore AS has been awarded installation of 540 kilometres of the 44" pipeline starting from Sleipner towards Easington, UK, with an option to install 362 kilometres of the 42" pipeline starting outside Nyhamna to Sleipner. Allseas Marine Contractors S.A. has been awarded installation of 33 kilometres of the field development’s two 30" pipelines and the 42" pipeline to be installed near-shore Nyhamna, with an option to install an additional 61 kilometres of the two pipelines to the Ormen Lange Field. The contract award to Allseas Marine Contractors S.A. also includes installation of the 44" pipeline at the UK landfall, Easington, with an option to install 228 kilometres of the 42" pipeline starting from Sleipner in the North Sea to Nyhamna on the coast of mid-Norway. The last ten days, the Ormen Lange license group has awarded contracts valued at more NOK 10 billion related to the Ormen Lange pipeline system. This export pipeline will be the worlds longest subsea pipeline with a total length of about 1,200 km. Hydro is operator for Ormen Lange during the development phase, including all field development, the onshore gas processing plant at Nyhamna, as well as the export pipeline project. Statoil has the project management of the gas export pipeline project in cooperation with Hydro. The contracts are based on Statoil’s frame agreements for pipeline installation. The contract awards are conditional on the Plan for Installation and Operation (PIO) and the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) with submittal in the fourth quarter of 2003, and subsequent governmental approval of the plans. The pipeline leg from Sleipner to Easington is planned to be ready for operation by October 2006. Production start of the Ormen Lange field is planned for October 2007. In addition to the Ormen Lange partners, ConocoPhillips will also be an investor in the export transport system. When completed, the new export pipeline from Nyhamna via Sleipner to Easington will be part of Gassled and operated by Gassco. Ormen Lange is the largest gas field under development on the Norwegian continental shelf. It is located 100 km off the northwest coast of Norway at a water depth of 800 to 1,100 meters. The planned gas export volume to England is about 20 percent of Norways gas exports and 20 percent of UK gas market demand. Partners in the Ormen Lange licence: Norsk Hydro (17.956 %, Operator development phase), Shell (17.2 %, Operator production phase), Petoro (36 %), BP (10.888 %), Statoil (10.774 %) and ExxonMobil (7.182 %). After a few long weeks of finishing work and intensive trials, the Singaporean shipyard Keppel delivered the Athena on September 24th 2002. One month later, the vessel reached Pointe-Noire where she was welcomed, inspected, tested and approved by her freighter, TotalFinaElf E&P Congo. Since October 25th, Athena has been busy using her various pieces of equipment, from platform to platform, carrying out maintenance work. With the vessel riding on her four-point anchoring or in dynamic positioning, the gigantic crane (100 tons at 10 metres or 25 tons at 40 metres) is proving an invaluable tool. Athenas work schedule for 2003 is already heavy and begins with installing the Likalala platform flare. This flare weighs 60 tons and its installation involves complex calculations. It will have to be laid in position, carefully and skilfully, during a slack water period. This will be a first for SURF, in overall charge of the project. This final exam will confirm our arrival in the closed circle of vessels capable of heavy lift operations at sea. The 60 persons made up of the 22-member crew and the teams working for the charterer and sub-contractors certainly appreciate the living conditions and rest facilities on board Athena, a modern, top-quality work tool equipped with all the latest technology in the maritime field. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEMBAWANG SHIPYARD AWARDED $34 MILLION CONTRACT.Complete Outfitting and Commissioning Project for an Offshore Dynamic Positioned Pipelay Construction Barge Sembawang Shipyard Private Limited, a subsidiary of SembCorp Marine Ltd, has successfully secured a major contract from Consolidated Projects Ltd (CPL), to complete, outfit and commission an Offshore Dynamic Positioning Class 3 pipe-lay/construction barge, with fleet member Jascon 5 and built to American Bureau of Shipping Classification rules with notation ABS + A1 Barge + PAS + DPS3 "Pipelay". The vessel will be operated by OFFCON (Offshore Contractors Ltd.) Sembawang Shipyard was awarded, against strong international competition, this specialized contract based on the shipyard's strength and established track record in the highly specialized and sophisticated field of conversion and modification work on offshore vessels, which demands strong project management skills, high Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) standards, proven Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) expertise and strong organizational capabilities. One of the most challenging aspects of this major contract requires the shipyard to undertake part of the basic design and detailed Engineering, Procurement and Completion of the project, i.e. detailed engineering, outfitting and commissioning of a new barge hull that is now currently being constructed in China, into a DPS 3 self-propelled pipe-laying and construction barge. The new hull, measuring 140m in length, 40.6m in breadth and 8.75m in depth, is expected to arrive in the shipyard in March 2003 and henceforth, will undergo 8.5 months of completion work in Sembawang Shipyard. Due to the fast track nature and tight schedule of the project, a strong and experienced Project Management Team will be critical to manage significant aspects of the project integrating high-end complete 3-D modeling of the vessel structure as well as outfitting, installation and commissioning This contract also calls for the detailed engineering of specialised utility systems such as the HVAC, fuel, compressed air, water and the complete electrical, hi-tech power distribution systems. Other major work includes the installation of owner furnished equipment such as SAS pipe laying equipment, Huisman 800T heavy lift crane, a TTS/Norlift 36 T pedestal crane, 5 Caterpillar diesel generator sets, 8 HRP Azimuth thrusters with Caterpillar engines, a Kongsberg Simrad Dynamic Positioning System and a pipelay stinger and A frame. The shipyard will also undertake the complete engineering and outfitting of an accommodation deckhouse for a complement of up to 350 persons. In the words of Mr Kasper Bosma, Project Manager of Consolidated Projects Limited, "Sembawang Shipyard is competitive in terms of price, quality and experience. The shipyard has demonstrated its track record to handle sophisticated offshore work, which requires strong Engineering, Procurement and Construction capabilities. We are confident that both Consolidated Projects Ltd and Sembawang Shipyard will be able to work closely towards the successful completion and commissioning of the Jascon 5". Mr Ong Poh Kwee, Executive Director of Sembawang Shipyard, said "We are very pleased to be chosen by Consolidated Projects Ltd for the Jascon 5 project, as this marks another milestone achievement for Sembawang Shipyard in the area of offshore projects. We thank CPL for its trust and confidence in our project management know-how, design, engineering and commissioning capabilities". Upon completion, the Jascon 5 will be deployed worldwide, sailing to the jobsites at 8 knots under its own power. In July 2002, Sembawang Shipyard became the first shipyard in South East Asia to achieve ISO14001 Environmental System Award by Det Norske Veritas Ltd. The award is a firm endorsement of the shipyard's commitment and efforts towards environmental preservation and protection. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VT Halter Marine signs new contractsAt a keel-laying ceremony on March 13, VT Halter Marine Inc., began the construction of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armament Command?s (TACOM) newest Logistic Support Vessel. We value the confidence and trust that the U.S. Army has placed in our company and our employees,? said Butch King, CEO of VT Halter Marine. ?Our employees have first-hand experience in designing and building Logistic Support Vessels, Large Tugs and LCU-2000 Class Landing Craft that are specifically tailored to operational requirements. The U.S. Army is a long-term marine customer and about 50 vessels in their fleet have been built at our shipyards. We are very proud of the fact that this vessel will be used to help support our fighting forces and guard our national interests.? The 313-ft. LSV class vessel, designed to carry over 2,000 tons of deck cargo, has a beam of 60-feet and a molded depth of 19-feet. VT Halter Marine announced the Logistic Support Vessel (LSV) contract award December 20, 2002. Vessel delivery should take place sometime during the fourth quarter, 2004. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sonsub notes record pipe laySonsub's I10 and I11 ROVs assisted a pipe lay set at 2,175 m, said to be a world record, during the Canyon Express project in the Gulf of Mexico. Both ROVs working off SaiBos's FDS conducted more than 200 dives logging more than 3,500 hours between the two, with I10's longest dive at 143 hours and I11's longest at 201 hours. The ROVs performed touchdown monitoring up to 650 m behind the vessel, bathymetry, and pipe tracking survey. They supported the mud mats and inline sleds settings. The company's I3 and I12 recently helped install a dozen hydraulic leads on the same field. The ROVs latched onto the 800-lb leads and flew them to their locations for installation from the MSV Maxita. Electrical leads installed included a hybrid of fiber-optic end connectors. TotalFinaElf operates the Canyon Express field. Sonsub agreed to supply tooling for the project and to assist with a single methanol distribution line and two 12-in. installed flowlines and electro-hydraulic umbilical installations in up to 7,200-ft water depth. The umbilical system controls four subsea wells at the King's Peak field, three to four subsea wells at the Aconcagua field, and two subsea wells at the Camden Hills field. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Truss Spar for Murphy Oil.Murphy Oil Corporation has awarded a contract to J. Ray McDermott, Inc. to construct a floating production system for the Front Runner project on Green Canyon blocks 338 and 339 in the Gulf of Mexico. J. Ray McDermott subsidiary SparTEC Inc. will be the general contractor responsible for engineering, procure- ment, construction, and installation of the Spar. The Front Runner partners have approved a plan for developing the area using a truss Spar capable of handling 60,000 b/d of crude oil and 110 MMcf/d of natural gas. First production is targeted for the first half of 2004. Murphy operates Front Runner with 37.5% interest. Partners are Dominion Exploration & Production, Inc. with 37.5% and Spinnaker Exploration Company with 25%. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subsea 7 contractSubsea 7 has been awarded a 30M US dollar subsea installation contract by the joint venture company Modec International LLC, for the development of Bijupira/Salema fields. The two fields, which are operated by Enterprise Oil Operations Limited, are located adjacent to each other in offshore Brazil Campos Basin, approximately 174 miles from Rio de Janeiro, in water depths ranging from 1,575 feet to 2,890 feet.The contract comprises subsea installation of the fields development including FPSO (Floating Production Storage & Offloading unit) installation. The subsea part of Bijupira field will comprise two production manifolds, one water injection manifold, one gas lift PLET (Pipeline End Termination) and one UTA (Umbilical Termination Assembly), eight inch production flowlines, a seven inch water injection line and a five inch gas lift line between location and the FPSO, all 18 km in total approximate length and associated jumpers. The contract will be managed and operated from Subsea 7 base facility in Rio de Janeiro by the locally based team with support from the group international resources and Brazilian content for the overall installation project will be substantial. Subsea 7 assets that will be used to carry out the work will be the flexible lay vessels, Toisa Perseus and the K3000 or Lochnagar. Vessel activity will commence Nov. 02 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- World record achieved on Horn Mountain SPAR installationHeerema Marine Contractors has established a world record during the installation of an offshore SPAR mooring system. The BP Horn Mountain SPAR project set the new record with its mooring line system, which was installed in 1,650m (5,500ft) of water off the Gulf of Mexico. The SPAR project, installed in two phases, saw the world record broken during the first phase of the project, with the installation of the mooring line system. The mooring line system consists of nine piles, each pile being 5.5m in diameter and 27m long. The length of each mooring line is 2,300m and is made up of three sections, a single section consisting of 75m of chain link (each link being 14cm in diameter)and two sections of heavy steel wire also 14cms in diameter. The world record breaking project was the first project to be carried out by the semi-submersible construction vessel Balder after its deep water conversion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Torch Offshore gains ISM certification.Torch Offshore has announced that it has been awarded ISM Certification by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The Safety Management System of the Company was audited by the ABS and was deemed to be compliant with all of the requirements of the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and Pollution Prevention (ISM Code) as adopted by the International Maritime Organization. ISM certification was granted after a thorough audit of the company's pertinent records, interviews with company personnel and observation of daily activities. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cal-Dive unit acquires DP vesselThe specialized, dynamically positioned vessel Seawell is being transferred by CSO Ltd. to Well Ops (U.K.) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cal Dive. The transfer is part of a deal that sees Technip-Coflexip disposing of its Subsea Well Operations Business Unit to Cal-Dive. The transaction, valued at .5 million, is expected to close within days and is in line with Technip-Coflexip's program to dispose of non-strategic assets during the coming 12 months. Under the terms of the agreement, CSO Ltd. will transfer to all activities and resources dedicated to Subsea Well Intervention, including Seawell, to Well Ops, as well as assigning current client and vendor contracts. Purpose built for well operations, the Seawell, a 111-meter, DP3 vessel, was recently upgraded for coiled tubing deployment and well testing. Engineering, project management and specialized CSO Ltd. personnel dedicated to its Well Operations Business Unit will join Cal Dive. To smooth the transition, CSO Ltd. will provide, for an interim period, a number of support services, particularly in the areas of vessel management and diving support. In return, the vessel will be made available to CSO Ltd. through a cooperative agreement to support its contracting needs. Tom Ehret, President of the Offshore Branch of Technip-Coflexip, declared, "In the late eighties, we created the technology and operation of subsea well operations from a dynamically positioned monohull vessel. Since then, this business line has gained full market acceptance, and our Subsea Well Operation Business Unit is the clear leader in this segment. Today, within the broader context and strategy of the Technip-Coflexip Group, this activity is no longer part of our core business. We are therefore very pleased to announce this agreement with Cal Dive, and we believe that Cal Dive is very well placed to pursue and further develop successfully these well operations activities." Owen Kratz, Chairman and CEO of Cal Dive, commented, "This acquisition emphasizes the commitment of Cal Dive to be the leading and dominant provider for the industry's needs in the developing subsea well service market. Combining the subsea lubricator (SIL) based technology developed by Technip-Coflexip with the riser-based technology being pioneered by Cal Dive's Q4000 greatly enhances the ability of CDI to deliver the best subsea solutions for our clients. We are pleased to be able to work with CSO Ltd. in consummating this acquisition, which illustrates the mutually beneficial relationship between the two companies." With a workforce of about 18,000 and annual pro-forma revenues of nearly 4.5 billion euros, Technip-Coflexip ranks among the top five in the field of oil and petrochemical engineering, construction and services. Headquartered in Paris, the Group is listed in New York (NYSE: TKP - News) and in Paris (EURONEXT: 13170). The main engineering and business centers of Technip- Coflexip are located in France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil, Abu-Dhabi, China, India, Malaysia and Australia. The Group has high-quality industrial and construction facilities in France, Brazil, the UK, the USA, and Finland as well as a world class fleet of offshore construction vessels. Cal Dive International, Inc. headquartered in Houston, TX, is an energy service company specializing in well operations and subsea construction. CDI operates a fleet of technically advanced marine construction vessels and robotics, and conducts salvage operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Energy Resource Technology, Inc., acquires and operates mature and non-core offshore oil and gas properties. Simmons & Company International Limited, the specialist energy industry investment bank, advised Technip-Coflexip on this transaction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creating a Portable Dynamic Positioning SystemImagine being able to take something as a simple as a barge, and convert it into a highly sophisticated dynamically positioned vessel. Now, imagine this conversion being done dockside, in the water, in a week's time. Thrustmaster's deck-mounted Portable Dynamic Positioning System (PDPS) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Horizon & Cal Dive Form Joint VentureHorizon Offshore, Inc. has entered into a letter of intent with Cal Dive International, Inc. (CDI) to conduct reeled pipelay projects in deepwater areas of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The two companies will jointly fund construction of pipelay equipment to be used in conjunction with CDI's -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cal Dive Acquires Interest in Deepwater VesselCal Dive International, Inc. and Aker Marine Contractors, Inc. (AMC) have acquired Hvide Marine's majority equity interest in the new million Dove anchor handling and subsea construction vessel. The dynamically positioned Dove is scheduled to finish sea trials in mid-July -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alstom to Equip DP Platform Supply VesselsAlstom has been awarded a million order to supply equipment for 10 new platform supply vessels which are being built in the U.S. Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. Inc. of Mobile Ala., awarded Alstom the contract to design, install and commission the fully integrated AC electrical propulsion and control systems for the 210-ft. support vessels which will be based in the Gulf of Mexico. Alstom will also provide support and training at its technical training facility in Houston, Texas. The equipment includes Class II DP systems from Alstom's 'A' Series and vessel control systems, as well as switchboards, transformers and AC variable speed drive trains. The switchboards will be built in the US, allowing flexibility during the design phases of the project. Steve Raynor, Sales Director for Alstom's Marine and Offshore Activity, said: "We secured this significant contract based on our proven record with Bender Shipbuilding, having completed a number of orders for them in the past. We were also the only company which could serve as a single source supplier for all the DP, vessel management system and propulsion equipment and provide full support through our training facility in Texas." The first vessel is due to be delivered in March 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Early in 2Q 2002, Noble announced it would purchase two semisubmersible rigs from Transocean. With the transaction finalized, Noble plans to upgrade the Transocean 96 and Transocean 97 to make them suitable for deepwater work. The semis, last upgraded in 1997, are both pentagon design rigs capable of operating in 2,350-ft water depth. Plans call for an investment between million and million per unit for refurbishments and upgrades. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statoil's Siri platform is set to host three new Danish sector developments. State oil company DONG has submitted plans for its Cecilie and Nini discoveries to the Danish Energy Agency. These call for an unmanned wellhead platform on each of the fields, which have combined oil reserves of 65 MMbbl. Pipelines would be installed between the two platforms, and to Siri, where the oil would be processed. Siri is located 10 km from Cecilie and 31 km from Nini. Development costs are put at just under million, with a probable start to production next summer. Simultaneously, Statoil plans to develop the much smaller Siri East segment 1 via two subsea wells tied back to the Siri platform. A water injection line could be installed to serve both Siri East and Nini. Statoil would also likely place a subsea water injector on Stine, the western segment (2) of Siri East, which it brought on-stream this January via an extended-reach well from the Siri platform. In time, DONG is expected to assume operatorship of the Siri license as owner of the bulk of the incoming oil. It is also examining the possibility of laying a new westbound trunkline to take gas to the UK from Danish sector fields. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRICO newbuildingTrico Marine Services, Inc., has taken delivery on the Northern Canyon, a 279-ft. UT 745 design platform supply vessel (PSV). The state-of-the-art vessel is designed to serve deepwater markets worldwide. Built in Norway, the Northern Canyon is equipped with a DP2 (dynamic positioning) system and is among the largest, most technologically advanced PSVs available in the industry. The vessel, which will be deployed initially in the North Sea, is quipped as a remotely operated vehicle vessel to perform subsea construction work globally. It has been awarded a three-year contract by Canyon-Offshore, Inc. Trico is scheduled to take delivery of a second 279-ft. PSV in September 2002. It also expects to take delivery of three new generation 155-ft. crewboats designed to transport personnel and oilfield products and supplies to offshore drilling and production platforms during the fourth quarter of 2002 and the first quarter of 2003. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design contractDesign contract awarded to Skipsteknisk Skipsteknisk AS in Norway has been awarded a design contract for a new ROV survey vessel by Ostensjo Rederi AS in Haugesund, Norway. The contract is a result of a close co-operation between the two companies and the ship to be built is a new design, theST 253. At 85m overall and with a breadth of 18m the ST 253 will be arranged for various types of surveys, including handling of ROVs, sub-sea installation work, and execution of geo-technical surveys. She will be equipped with a diesel electric propulsion system, dynamic positioning, helicopter deck, moonpool and a large heavy-lift crane on the aft deck. Following commissioning early in 2003 she will be chartered to DeepOcean and will work for Norsk Hydro. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kongsberg Simrad AS and ABB AS have entered a worldwide co-operation agreement on joint marketing, sales and technology development to marine and offshore vessels. As part of this agreement there will be a transfer of ABB's business related to dynamic positioning to Kongsberg Simrad. The two companies have established themselves as leading international suppliers with complementary products and systems and say they aim to become the leading vendor of vessel automation systems, dynamic positioning, electric power, propulsion, and thruster systems to marine and offshore vessels. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The SSPA Dynamic Position Predictor is a highly advanced navigation aid, to be used for continuous dynamic position prediction within 30-600 seconds. The bridge officers will be able to steer and control the ship in a safer and more accurate way, as the ships contour, presented in 3 different predicted positions ahead, is visualized on the ECDIS display. The DPP is customised for each individual ship. An advanced mathematical model of the ships hydrodynamics is used for calculation of the ships predicted positions, based on the adjustable timestep selected by the officer. Output data from the dynamic predictor are given for T, 2T and 3T seconds ahead and comprise the ships course, speed and position. The DPP can be delivered either as a software package, to be implemented in an integrated bridge system, or as a separate unit communicating with the bridge system by use of serial interface NMEA 0183. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ExxonMobil employs innovative strategy to accelerate deepwater developments Exxon Mobil Corporation has announced that it will utilize an innovative, generic FPSO (floating, production, storage and offloading) concept to accelerate the production from new deepwater fields. The FPSO vessel is designed as an Early Production System (EPS) and will allow the company to economically develop offshore resources with less development time between discovery and first production. Construction is underway for three EPS FPSOs for useoffshore West Africa. The first of these, the FPSO Falcon, is expected to leave Singapore in late summer 2002 and will be used for the Yoho development offshore Nigeria. The Early Production System offers a significant shortening of time between discovery and oil production by as much as two to four years, said Morris Foster, president, ExxonMobil Development Company. This strategy provides us greater flexibility for future offshore developments, and reduces costs by standardizing one design and utilizing nearly identical equipment from one vessel to another. By utilizing these general-purpose FPSOs to commercializeour significant portfolio of offshore developments, we are able to deploy a safe and environmentally sound production system long before custom-design facilities can be ready, allowing the resource to come on-stream in a shorter time frame. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- North Sea rates pick up a littleOffshore Shipbrokers Limited (OSL) in Aberdeen reports that the rates for AHTS is rising. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read the full stories on www.marinelink.com -------------------------------------------------
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