Offshore staff
HOUSTON– Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) says it plans to add more than 40 vessels to its fleet and expand its terminal facilities.
A vast majority of the newbuild program are expected to be constructed at its four US-affiliate shipyards: North American Shipbuilding (Larose, LA), LaShip (Houma, LA), Gulf Ship (Gulfport, MS) and Tampa Ship (Tampa, FL), as well as its Brazilian shipyard, Navship.
The largest portion of the newbuild program contains 17 vessels, with options for an additional 20, in a new class of 312 ft x 66 ft x 26 ft (95 m x 20 m x 8 m) new-generation, clean design, diesel-electric platform supply vessels (PSV).
This class features a new hull form that was designed to maximize deadweight while reducing hydrodynamic resistance, thereby improving fuel efficiency. The result is a vessel that offers a deadweight tonnage in excess of 6,000 LT, the capacity for more than 22,000 bbl of liquid mud, more than 2,000 bbl of methanol, and 14,450 cu ft of dry bulk.
The company says these vessels provide accommodations for 51, as well as class notations for firefighting, dynamic positioning, unmanned engine room operation, special purpose ship safety, workboat habitability, and storage and discharge of recovered oil. The vessels also comply with the new International Labour Organization standards for vessel design and crew standards.
The newbuild program also includes two new high ice class AHTS vessels for Arctic service, which are currently being designed. The vessels will mark the fifth and sixth icebreaking vessels in the ECO fleet.
Additionally, the company plans to build four subsea construction vessels, slated for service in theGulf of Mexico. Features include ROVs from affiliate C-Innovation, as well as a 400-metric ton active heave-compensated deepwater crane.
Additional newbuild highlights include:
- One 314-ft (96-m), 1.5-million gallon refueling vessel
- One 318-ft (97-m) multi-purpose construction supply vessel, with 150-metric ton motion compensated deck crane
- One 318-ft diesel electric well stimulation vessel
- Five 303-ft (92-m) diesel electric 5,150-metric ton deadweight Brazilian PSVs
- Two 316-ft (96-m) 26,000-hp hybrid propulsion Brazilian-built AHTS with 300-metric ton bollard pull
- Five 304-ft (93-m) clean design, 5,500-deadweight ton Polish-built PSVs
- Five 201-ft (61-m) DP-2 fast supply vessels
- Two 194-ft (59-m) DP-2 fast supply vessels.
In the Port of Fourchon, Chouest affiliate C-Port 3 is under construction and slated to feature an additional six covered slips to transfer cargo and provide support to deepwater offshore support vessels. The multi-service terminal is slated to be operational by March 2014.
7/12/2013
