Larry Rigdon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rigdon Marine, announced that the tenth and final contracted GPA 640 platform support vessel was delivered by Bender Shipyard & Repair Co., Inc. of Mobile, Alabama. Mrs. Debbi H. Ducote christened the M/V ESPLANADE before it was immediately deployed under contract to a major oil company in the Gulf of Mexico. Debbi is the wife of James A. Ducote, Jr., Compliance Coordinator in the Technical Services Department of Rigdon Marine.
“The christening of our tenth and final GPA 640 is a very proud moment for every employee of the company that has worked so tirelessly to ensure the smooth delivery of each vessel to our customers,” said Larry Rigdon.
The GPA 640 vessels are 210 feet by 54 feet by 19 feet (64 m x 16.4 m x 5.8 m) diesel-electric PSVs with Dynamic Positioning Class 2 (DP-2) certification and a modern streamline hull design for fuel efficiency with top speeds of 13 knots fully loaded and 15 knots in light conditions. These vessels are capable of carrying 7,135 cubic feet of bulk material and 5,150 barrels of liquid mud in self-cleaning oval tanks. The vessels’ two pumps can deliver mud to a height of 196 feet above water. Additionally, the two 80-PSI air compressors can deliver 50 metric tons of dry cement or barite per hour to the same height.