North American Shipbuilding Facility News

According to reports, Gary Chouest was honored with the South Central Industrial Association’s award Thursday night. As president and CEO of Edison Chouest Offshore, Gary Chouest’s leadership has grown the two-vessel shrimping operation founded in 1960 by his father into a worldwide company whose more than 130 vessels are well recognized, SCIA President Chet Morrison told the crowd of about 400 gathered at Cypress Columns Wednesday night. The vessels, all built and owned by Edison Chouest Offshore, are designed for its client-companies’ needs. Most are built at its North American Shipbuilding facility in Larose, but also at North American Fabricators in Houma.

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 systems in 10,000 ft. of water safely and efficiently," said Roger White, senior vice president of Edison Chouest Offshore. "The real market for this vessel will be in the 5,000-10,000 ft.