Leevac Industries Llc News

Leevac Industries, LLC of Jennings, La., won a $40 million contract from PNK (Lake Charles), LLC for the construction of a 330 x 225 x 13-ft. (100.5 x 68.5 x 3.9 m) Paddlewheel Casino Vessel. Lay, Pittman and Associates, Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., are the naval architects. The casino vessel will hold more than 1,500 slot machines and 60 table games and will be moored in Lake Charles, La. This vessel will be the largest riverboat casino built in the State of Louisiana. Leevac’s President, William F. Stokes said, “We are pleased that Pinnacle Entertainment has placed the confidence in our ability to construct this project and the award…

HORNBECK-LEEVAC Marine Services, Inc. announced that it has changed its name to Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. The new corporate name was approved at the company's recent annual meeting of stockholders. The name of the tug and tank barge owning subsidiary, LEEVAC Marine, LLC, has also been changed to Hornbeck Offshore Transportation, LLC. The name changes are effective immediately. Todd M. Hornbeck, President and CEO remarked, "These name changes will allow us to operate under a common identity across each of our operating divisions and facilitate the markets' identification with each of our services under one name and one logo.

Todd Hornbeck, who has quickly yet judiciously built a sizeable marine company at Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. in just five years, shares with MarineNews the secrets of his success. Upon meeting with Todd Hornbeck, President and CEO of Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. at the literal epicenter of big oil dollars - the recent Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston - one is continuously struck with the contrasts of the man and mission. "Cutting edge, but very conservative and practical in our approach to business" is his description of the company. The son of a successful entrepreneur who survived the devastating oil downturn of the early to mid 1980s…

In today's fast moving offshore service industry with vessels venturing deeper and deeper into the Gulf of Mexico and to far off oilrigs around the world, communications is more important than ever. Today's offshore service vessels need far more ship-to-ship, ship to shore and even internal ship communications than ever before. "System redundancy is the key to today's state-of-the-art marine communications system", said Karl Beier, president of Beier Radio, Harvey, La. one of the leading suppliers of maritime communications equipment. "Communications backups not only make good sense but SOLAS rules mandate separate communications systems be in place to meet the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)", Beier added.

Shipyards in most major shipbuilding centers around the country are busy with double-hulled barge projects. The required phase out by OPA-90 regulations of single hulled barges over 25 years old by 2005 is the reason why there is considerable activity in this sector. Many petroleum transportation companies are building new barges and some barges with useful life remaining are being double hulled…so there is a good mix of new construction and renovation. This elevated level of building activity has led one strictly repair yard to take on new barge construction activity. For example the Manitowoc Marine Group's repair yard in Toledo, Ohio has its first new build in 15 years. They have under construction a 110,000 barrel barge for Hornbeck Offshore Transportation LLC, Mandeville, La.

While the Casino boat building business has been stagnant for nearly a decade, there maybe emerging opportunities for growth. For naval architects, shipyards, interior designers and marine systems and equipment suppliers the mid 1990's was a heady time. Over 100 casino boats were built during this time. If there are more on the way, it will be a smaller market this time around. The market is not so much for new boats for new jurisdictions, since the last casino boat legislation was passed in Indiana in 1993, almost 12 years ago. What is happening is that those boats are now 12 years old and needing replacement. Over the past couple of years some boats have been replaced.

Mud, Mud, Mud. Liquid mud is the name of the game in the design of today's offshore service vessels. The drilling rigs not only want huge volumes of mud, but they want the vessels that serve them to be able to carry several different types of liquid mud. That means two or three separate piping and pumping systems to keep the mud from cross contamination. That also increases demands for automated control and alarm systems, many of which utilize touch screen controls. The rigs also need dry bulk cement, barite and other such products, so dry bulk tanks with 6,000 or so cu. ft. of capacity would be desired. Many rig owners would also like the vessels to carry methanol and…

No one ever said that working on the inland rivers or in the Gulf of Mexico on a vessel was a picnic. It is axiomatic that the hours are long, the work physically demanding and the workplace environment potentially dangerous. That is why newer deliveries emphasize crew habitability. Vessel owners and operators know that well-rested and well-fed crews are safer crews and safety cannot be over emphasized in this severe setting. That is why there has been a significant upgrading in crew accommodations, galleys and entertainment and communications options. The three workboats profiled below offer proof positive that today's "crew friendly" boats are safer and more enjoyable places to work. No vessel type has more personnel on board than a crew boat.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico region is again poised to prosper, spurred by the buzz of activity surrounding the oil patch, and specifically the renewed vigor with which companies will explore and develop deepwater fields for the production of natural resources. Though the resumption of business at "full throttle" has taken perhaps a bit longer than many observers would have initially predicted, particularly given the continued high price of oil and gas and the "pro" oil industry political team occupying the White House, it is a safe bet that, at least for the next several years, the offshore oil business will ensure that the marine business in the GOM region is a prosperous one.

Although this has been considered an off year in the Gulf of Mexico from rig count and fleet utilization standpoints, it is another record year for major offshore operators expanding their fleets and the shipyards that are building these vessels. Last year, over 50 supply boats were delivered and about an equal number of crew/supply vessels made their way into the fleets of operators. This year looks equally robust as vessels are being ordered in quantities of four, six and even 10. This begs the question as to why offshore vessel operators are order record number of vessels if the business is sluggish? The answer is two fold: Deep water and deep gas. Drilling activity is bound to increase based on these two factors industry leaders believe.

On March 16, 2003, Hornbeck Offshore Services (HOS) took delivery of the HOS Bluewater from LEEVAC Industries LLC. The vessel was delivered to Hornbeck Offshore two weeks ahead of schedule and immediately began a term charter for an unnamed operator. The HOS Bluewater is the first of four deepwater OSV's that will be delivered to Hornbeck Offshore by year's end. Designed by and built for Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC, the HOS BLUEWATER is the company's seventh DP-2 vessel. HOS Bluewater measures 240 x 54 x 19-ft. The latest of the HOS "New Breed" has been uniquely engineered to offer numerous advantages over existing tonnage. The unique hull form assists in making the Bluewater a very DP capable and fuel-efficient vessel.