Oceaneering International has contracted BAE Systems to build a subsea support vessel for offshore drilling. The vessel will be used to augment Oceaneering’s ability to provide subsea intervention services in the ultradeepwater Gulf of Mexico. Construction of the 353’x72’ vessel will take place at BAE’s Mobile, Ala., shipyard.
The DP-2 vessel will be built to Norway’s Marin Teknikk MT6022 design and will feature a 250-ton crane capable of reaching 4,000-meter water depth. It will be powered by GE tier IVi-emission compliant engines and by energy efficient and environmentally compliant power and propulsion systems.
It will have a Class 2 dynamic positioning system, accommodations for 110 personnel, a helideck and a working moonpool. The vessel will be outfitted with two 13,000’-rated Oceaneering work class remotely operated vehicles. The vessel will also be equipped with a satellite communications system capable of transmitting streaming video for real-time work observation by shore personnel.
Expected delivery of the vessel is by the end of the first quarter of 2016.
Massive influx of construction vessels in the GOM. HOS is building two, harvey will have two, candies has two that I know of, and now Oceaneering. Not to mention what ECO has. Both of those vessels are foreign flag. Correct me if I’m wrong, wouldn’t the jones act vessels have to be utilized for a specific job before a foreign flag vessel was used? Just my two cents, but like c.captain I look forward to the day when all the foreign flag vessels are out of the GOM.
There are plenty of foreign flag vessels that are not crewed with US mariners (unlike Iron Horse and Achiever) that need to be pushed out of the US GOM first.
They won’t be sold, worst case is they will work foreign, but that won’t be for a while. HOS has actually been kicking around the idea of building more vessels like the Iron Horse, but bigger and Jones Act approved.
We satisfied the contract by building two of those vessels in Holland. We are now free to build as many of that design as we want here in the states. Ryan is correct there has been some talk of building larger ones here stateside. We will have 6 construction vessels similar to the Harvey Deep Sea on the back end of our current new build program. They will have the 200 ton cranes, helideck and sleep 70+. Hopefully all of these vessels from all companies will be sufficient enough to squeeze the furiners out.
