Specialised Equipment News

Brussels-headquartered contracting giant Besix has completed the design and construction of Bahrain Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminal in Muharraq Island.The Bahrain LNG Import Terminal forms a vital part of the energy infrastructure of Bahrain as it provides the country with a secure supply of liquified natural gas to meet the country’s growth in demand for natural gas in order to fuel large industrial projects, to generate power and water, and for enhanced oil recovery.The scope of work included the design and construction of an LNG jetty constructed on drilled and grouted pin piles with a maximum length of 55 metres, located approximately 5km offshore and with a seabed level at -18 metres.

The crew of HMAS Melbourne have completed a fifth drug seizure for Operation MANITOU after seizing about 65kg of heroin from a dhow in the Indian Ocean. The hidden drugs were discovered when Melbourne’s boarding party search of the suspect vessel during Melbourne’s last maritime security patrol with the multinational Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) before handing over to HMAS Darwin and returning to Australia. The heroin was seized and transported onboard HMAS Melbourne for further analysis before it was then disposed at sea. Specialised equipment onboard the Australian Guided Missile Frigate identified the drugs as mid-grade heroin valued at approximately $50M AUD (based on Australian Crime Commission figures and revised for purity).

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen, part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, has completed a major upgrade of a Keppel Fels ‘N’ Class drilling rig, one of the largest in the North Sea, in thirty days less than was initially projected by the client. Owner Rowan Companies plc. projected that the work on the Rowan Viking would require 130 days, but through the application of innovative project planning techniques and highly specialised equipment Damen was able to reduce this by nearly 25 percent. The scope of the project involved the extension of the three legs by 10 metres to 180 metres, a five-yearly special periodic survey and bringing the rig up to standard for the AoC (acknowledgement of compliance) certification required by the Norwegian authorities.

JDN's range of hoists, covering lift capacities from 250kg up to a full 100 tonnes, are used worldwide within many heavy-industry applications including shipbuilding and offshore, covering newbuild, refits and repair as well as dismantling. Typical shipyard external applications include the installation and disassembly of rudder blades, shafts and propellers, while internal work includes heavy components for the engine room drive equipment as well as drive shafts and other general fitting out or installation work.

The Holland Shipbuilding Association say that the various shipbuilding sectors presented a mixed picture in the past year, ship repair & supereyact construction did well, not so large new-buildings. Although Dutch shipbuilders had a tough year in 2012, they were generally able to hold their own. Output did suffer though. Deliveries from Dutch shipyards amounted to 95 seagoing vessels – a total of nearly 335,046 CGT with a value in excess of one billion euros. About 58% of the seagoing ships produced in the Netherlands in 2012 were destined for export. The amount of new orders placed during 2012 reflected the depressed global market situation, with a decrease of 35% in value terms compared to 2011. 61 new seagoing ships were ordered in 2012, totalling 166,471 CGT.

Nordic Yards in Wismar and Warnemünde, Germany, contracted to build two ice-breaking rescue & salvage ships for Russia. The vessels for the Russian Ministry of Transport, will operate on the Northern Sea Route (NSR)  in the Arctic, namely in the region of Murmansk, and in Sakhalin. The vessels will be used for patrols and rescue operations in offshore oil and gas fields. They are highly specialised, have a complex level of equipment and are designed for searching for and rescuing ships in distress, evacuating people and providing them with medical care.

HATLAPA is playing an active role in helping to protecting our coastlines. The manufacturer‟s experience in the development and production of steering gear, compressors, deck machinery and offshore winches has led to a 2.5 million Euro order for deck machinery, steering gear and compressors for the Nordic. Initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, the construction of the emergency tug vessel was undertaken by three ship owners in the German Bight – Bugsier, Fairplay Towage and Unterweser – joined by Wiking Helikopter, a local specialist helicopter company.

The impact of proposed changes to the Jones Act and the use of foreign flagged vessels in the US offshore sector is already being felt by seafarers according to international shipping recruitment agency Faststream, with companies rushing to replace their non-US crews. Should the proposals by the US Customs and Borders Protection (CBP) first issued in July 2009 be implemented, they would radically change the interpretations of rules for vessels transporting specialised equipment used by the offshore oil and gas industry and revoke foreign flag exemptions to the Jones Act including pipe and cable-laying, diving support work. “Some of our offshore service companies that we work with are already making moves to man their vessels with US crews in anticipation of the proposed changes…

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has strengthened its network of stand-by oil spill response vessels by finalising tenders for the Black Sea and North Sea. In the Black Sea, Romanian shipowner Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP) will provide a pollution response capability using an offshore supply vessel which services the oilfields off the coast of Romania. In the North Sea, Belgian shipowner DC Industrial will provide a service based on two hopper dredgers which operate in this sea area.

When one hears “off shore energy” in the marine sector, it is the petroleum industry that comes most readily to mind. Now a Shetland vessel chartering company has taken delivery of a boat with specialized equipment to support the maintenance of off shore wind-powered electrical generating units. Serving a function similar to that of Gulf of Mexico jack-up boats the new vessel has two 15-meter spud legs to hold it in position while servicing the wind mills. The portside push bows have a gap to suit the four-meter base of wind-farm piles, allowing the vessel to push up against the pile without fear of sliding off. The harder you push the less motion is felt at the bow of the vessel therefore allowing the safe transfer of personnel and heavy parts…

Winners of the Lloyd’s List-SMM 2002 Awards for innovation in shipbuilding and marine technology were announced in the Hamburg Congress Centre last night (September 24) at a gala ceremony which brought day one of the world’s biggest maritime fair to a glittering conclusion. Several hundred leading industry figures gathered for the final stage of an initiative launched in March by Lloyd’s List and SMM organisers Hamburg Messe to recognise the technical advances which enable maritime commerce and defence. With 13 awards in three merchant and naval categories, the inaugural scheme attracted a massive wave of nominations for ships and support systems reflecting the cutting edge of ingenuity in improving performance, reducing costs and protecting the environment.