VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS Robin Dupre • Houston
More heavy lifting ahead
Last year’s cargo volume increases were seen by most as the start
of a trend growth, with this year pointing to better utilization factors
across MPV/Project carrier fleets, according to Justin Archard, managing director, Asia Pacific and Oceania at SAL Heavy Lift Singapore.
“It is hard to say whether or not the oil price shock will have a sting
in its tail. The oil and gas industry is laying off people across the board
– staff and contractors alike. Project deferments have started. Downgrading of global growth by the
various global financial agencies
was a regular feature in 2014; and
today, the oil price correction may
be the fillip that was needed to ignite growth. Uncertainty remains
as the only constant and will, in my
view, continue to dampen investment in capital projects and ships
in the MPV/Project carrier segment. Oversupply has been a considerable factor in this segment
for some time. This year, with its
uncertainties, is unlikely to be a catalyst year for significant newbuild
orders, which is a good thing.”
He stated that a further difficulty that shipowners face will be in
freight rates. As cargo volumes trend upward, the fall in the oil price
means lower bunker costs for owners, bringing a welcome margin
against current market freight rates.
DOF Subsea wins GoM contracts
DOF Subsea has won several contracts for work in the Gulf of
Mexico. The contract awards will give a utilization of the chartered-in vessels Ross Candies by four plus five months and Chloe Candies
by about three months. The contracts will start this month, and the
scope of work includes subsea installation, IMR, and survey work.
Bibby Subsea charters
newbuild Brandon Bordelon
Bibby Subsea has signed a three-year contract with Bordelon Marine
for use of the newbuild ultra-light intervention vessel Brandon Bordelon. The vessel is expected to operate primarily in the Gulf of Mexico.
The purpose built, high-specification vessel is designed for a variety of
operations, including maintenance and repair, light construction, survey,
and inspection work.
Seadrill acquires West Polaris drillship
Seadrill has exercised a purchase option for the ultra-deepwater
drillship West Polaris from Ship Finance International.
The seller acquired the vessel in 2008 and subsequently agreed
on a bareboat charter to Seadrill with purchase options starting in
2012. The purchase option price is $456 million and the total consideration payable to Ship Finance is $108 million.
Keppel to convert
second vessel for FLNG role
Keppel Shipyard has confirmed a contract from Golar LNG subsidiary Golar Gimi to convert a second Moss LNG carrier, the GIMI,
into a floating liquefaction vessel (FLNGV). The value of the order
is about $705 million. The work scope is similar to the conversion of
the carrier HILLI, awarded six months ago.
Keppel Shipyard will be responsible for the design, detailed engi-
neering and procurement of the marine systems, and all conversion-
related construction services. It will re-engage Black & Veatch, its
partner in the HILLI conversion, for design, procurement, and com-
missioning support for the topsides and the liquefaction process, us-
ing its established PRICO technology.
Full construction activities on the GIMI will start once Keppel
Shipyard receives a notice to proceed, probably by November. The
converted Golar Gimi FLNGV is expected to be delivered around 33
months after the notice to proceed.
McDermott vessels to install second
Ayatsil platform offshore Mexico
McDermott International will install the jacket, deck, and piles for
PEMEX’s Ayatsil-A drilling platform in the Ayatsil field in the Bay of
Campeche offshore Mexico.
The Intermac 600 will launch the 8,400-ton ( 7,620-metric ton) jacket and the heavy-lift Derrick Barge 50 will complete installation of this
structure, the 3,400-ton ( 3,084-metric ton) deck and other platform
components in waters 400 ft (122 m) deep. The total weight of the
facility is around 15,800 tons ( 14,333 metric tons).
Ayatsil, PEMEX’s largest discovery to date, is expected to boost
Mexico’s oil production by 150,000 b/d.
Last summer, McDermott delivered the Ayatsil-B eight-legged
jacket and deck.
Damen to convert Petrojarl I
for Atlanta offshore Brazil
The Petrojarl I LLC consortium has commissioned Damen
Shiprepair Rotterdam (DSR) to upgrade the FPSO Petrojarl I.
Owner Teekay Petrojarl plans to re-deploy the vessel, built in
1986, from the North Sea to the postsalt Atlanta heavy-oil field in the
Santos basin offshore Brazil.
Queiroz Galvão Exploração e Produção (QGEP) has contracted
the floater to serve as an early production system on the field in a
water depth of 1,535 m ( 5,036 ft).
DSR’s upgrade scope covers basic engineering, detailed and construction design and engineering, workshop drawings, interface engineering, marine and process equipment procurement, fabrication,
construction, corrosion protection/coating, transport and lifting operations, integration, mechanical completion, performance testing,
and commissioning activities.
The company will also perform upgrades and modifications related to the marine, hull, and life extension classification program; conversion of the process systems (separation train and produced water
topsides) and integration; and Brazilian compliance procedures.
Under a partnership with DSR, Frames in Alphen aan den Rijn,
the Netherlands will handle design and fabrication of the new topsides skids, while Alblasserdam-based Nevesbu is responsible for
marine and topsides integration engineering.
Petrojarl I is expected to arrive at the shipyard next month and
remain there for around one year. •
The Ayatsil-A jacket on board the Intermac 600 transportation and launch
barge. (Photo courtesy Business Wire)
Justin Archard, managing director,
Asia Pacific and Oceania at SAL
Heavy Lift Singapore. (Photo courtesy Helix Media)
