Very nice and further sign that big things are afoot in offshore with a very bright future indeed!
Helix ESG’s Q4000 Well Intervention Semi-submersible
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)–Sembcorp Marine Ltd. (S51.SG) on Tuesday said it has secured a US$385.5 million order to build a semisubmersible well intervention rig from Helix Energy Solutions Group (HLX).
The vessel is scheduled for delivery in January 2015 and will be able to perform top hole drilling, subsea construction, and decommissioning well intervention.
The contract isn’t expected to have any material impact on Sembcorp Marine’s earnings for the year ending Dec. 31.
-By Sam Holmes, Dow
I guess the semi will be a sister to the Q4000 or at least very similar. I wonder if Helix plans to bring it to the GoM? If so, more jobs for Americans because Helix is a standup company and doesn’t hide being the smokescreen that qualified American mariners are not available.
Thanks as always to the gCaptain staff for posting this newsearlier!
I’ve made many trips to the Q4000 both during the BP spill and after. It seemed everyone I saw or spoke to were american. For what that’s worth any ways.
Not on the Helix Express. Mostly foreign crew. Also on the Olympic Intervention, run by canyon offshore (a division of Helix)which is all foreign except the riggers. Did about 8 jobs with Helix this year.
I know that the Helix vessels working in foreign waters are foreign manned which is perfectly legal for Helix to do, but the vessels in the GoM as supposed to be US manned and I thought that was the case with the HELIX PRODUCER, the Q4000 (which is US flag anyway) and the CAESAR. If I am wrong about these, somebody please tell us. Is the HELIX EXPRESS now in the Gulf?
The Canyon vessels are not owned by Helix and they fall into that area where they are deemed to not be under the effective control of the charterer which is bullshit imo but it appears that nobody will ever challenge that one to the USCG or in Federal Court so those jobs will stay with the non US crews. Maybe someday but I am not holding my breath.
Helix Express has been in the GoM for at least a year with a mixed crew. Bridge crew is mostly foreign, crane operator is foreign, mixed AB’s.
They have been laying pipeline like crazy
We did an inspection and some work on a well head they were working near. (Lloyd Ridge 400) The officers on the bridge that I had communications with sounded foreign.
The Q4000, Caesar and HP1 are crewed by Helix. The Intrepid and the Express are crewed by C-Mar. They are all owned/managed by Helix. I have heard that they (Helix) were looking into crewing the Express. Not sure if that started.
On the Caesar, there is a mixed crew. She was and I believe still is, working in Mexico.
Helix ESG’s Q4000 Well Intervention Semi-submersible
