EDISON CHOUEST OFFSHORE

Icebreaker Christened – Largest from Edison Chouest Offshore

Shell's new icebreaker for oil exploration in Chukchi Sea christened 'Aiviq' by Edison Chouest Offshore in Larose, Louisiana Claimed to be the world's largest and most powerful anchor-handling icebreaker the US$200 million, 360 ft vessel was christened Aiviq in the presence of dignatories including U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. John Hoeven, several members of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission and Shell executives. The Aiviq whose primary task off the coat of Alaska will be laying anchors for drilling rigs will also be equipped to deal with oil spill clean-up operations; she is built to American Bureau of Shipping A3 class standards – capable of breaking ice 1 metre thick at a speed of 5 kts. Shell invited Inupiak  schoolchildren to submit essays suggesting names for the vessel, 12 year old Elizabeth Itta submitted the winning essay, describing how the Walrus, "Alviq" in the Inupiak language, use their tusks to break ice. She won a cash prize for her school, and was flown in to attend the ceremony.

Bollinger To Build 3 Boats for Chouest

Bollinger Shipyards signed a contract for three 145 ft. supply/utility boats with Edison Chouest Offshore. "It's wonderful to again be building boats for the Chouest organization," said Donald "Boysie" Bollinger, chairman and CEO of Bollinger. Gary Chouest, president of Edison Chouest, said, "We look forward to building boats with a yard which has quality people, and products." Vessels will meet new regulatory standards and will be less than 100 GT (U. S. Reg

Diesel Electric Propulsion – CAT Starts Brazil Genset Production

Diesel electric propulsion generators for offshore users now in full production at Caterpillar's new Brazil facilty Caterpillar says their 3500C Diesel Electric Propulsion (DEP) generator sets have entered full production at the Piracicaba, Sao Paulo manufacturing facility, delivering on a commitment to offer superior Cat power solutions products to the burgeoning Brazilian offshore market. Within the past year, the company has achieved significant milestones in Brazil

Feature: Family Tradition

About a year ago MarineNews debuted an article on the "First Families" of the oil patch featuring the Graham, Chouest and Candies families. We continue this series with two real pioneers in this industry whose partnership is still going strong after 57 years. Albert Cheramie and Anthony Guilbeau were among the very first to recognize that when oil and gas exploration moved offshore there would be a need for boats to supply the rigs

Workboats: The World's Largest OSV

There are several large offshore service vessels working in the Gulf of Mexico, but none so big and powerful as the Laney Chouest. At 348 ft. long by 72 ft. wide with a 31-ft. deep hull, the Laney Chouest simply dwarfs anything in the Gulf. Built by Edison Chouest Offshore, Galliano, La. at their North American Shipbuilding facility, the vessel is already at work in the Gulf on a charter for Shell Offshore. "This vessel was designed and built for a very specific mission-to preset mooring

BP, CSO Aker Marine Team For Unique GOM Installation

CSO Aker Marine Contractors, Inc. (CAMC), one of the Houston-based entities of the Coflexip Stena Offshore Group, announced the successful mooring of Diamond Offshore's rig the Ocean Confidence using a preset taut leg mooring with polyester rope and CAMC's SEPLA anchoring system while under contract to BP. The mooring location is in the Gulf of Mexico in 6,385 ft. (1,946 m). The project represents a significant advancement in deepwater mooring.

FEATURE: A Family Tradition

The one constant about the management of offshore vessel operating companies is the domination of family members of the founder. Except for the largest of these companies, Tidewater, Inc., that is a public NYSE-listed firm, most of the companies in this category, large and small, are run by the descendents of the founder. Many of these companies still bear the founder's name and most of the vessels are named after family members. by Larry Pearson The CALLAIS Family

Metso Improving Offshore Energy Safety

Metso introduces new solutions for improved safety in upstream offshore industry.   New stainless steel version of Metso's intelligent safety valve controller Neles ValvGuard offers market leading pneumatics capacity, extensive safety valve testing capabilities and enhanced online condition monitoring features resulting in improved safety and availability at offshore platforms. To complement its Smart Product offering for offshore customers Metso has released stainless steel versions

Salvage Ops for Downed Plane

Kellie Choest on Navy Salvage Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Derrick Lines guides "Super Scorpio", a remote operated vehicle into position for safe recovery aboard the special mission charter ship M/V Kellie Chouest. Petty Officer Lines is assigned to Deep Submergence Unit Unmanned Vehicle Detachment, tasked with surveying the wreckage of an F-14D Tomcat that crashed off the coast of Point Loma, Calif. Kellie Chouest is one of four Submarine Support Vessels belonging to the Military Sealift

Qatar’s LNG Exports to Reach 78 Million Tons

Qatar’s total LNG exports will reach about 78.1 million tons per year by 2011 if the eight heads of agreements (HoAs) are turned into sale and purchase agreements (SPAs), says a recent Gulf Times report. The SPAs Qatargas and RasGas signed with buyers worldwide would peak in 2011 with exports totaling 34.5 million tons annually. Additionally, the eight HOAs signed by Qatargas and RasGas could push the exports by another 43.6 million ton by 2011, according to the report