Semco Llc News

Gulf of Mexico liftboat operators All Coast, LLC, have entered into a contract with SEMCO, LLC, for the refurbishment and enhancement of its L/B 'Barracuda', which was previously out of service. Under this agreement, sponsons will be added to the hull, her leg length will be extended from 105 to 120 feet, and quarters will be enlarged. The quarters will be completely outfitted with new furnishings for guests' comfort. All Coast's fleet includes 29 active liftboats operating in the Gulf of Mexico and nine vessels out of service, exclusive of the Barracuda.

Next year, developers hope to start building offshore wind turbines in the U.S., which is already a leader in on-land wind generation. As turbines spin off the coast in a dozen other countries, particularly the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, global offshore wind capacity has expanded nearly six-fold since 2006. Most of these installations are in shallow water though winds are stronger out further. If the U.S. is to have offshore turbines, many residents want them distant enough so they can’t be seen or heard.

Marine companies along the Gulf of Mexico have seen little new business since the offshore drilling moratorium was lifted in early October as oil producers apply for permits and decide how to navigate costly safety regulations. At Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., one of the top U.S. boat builders, Chief Executive Officer Boysie Bollinger, said “we're waiting for BOEM to start issuing offshore drilling permits, and no one has any idea when that will be.” He wonders if the government knows when more permits will be released.

Lift boats are the unglamorous vessels of oil and gas well servicing industry. They travel to the job site with three large cylindrical legs rising 150-250 ft. above the waterline. Once onsite, lift boats lower their legs to the seabed and raise their hull up to 100 ft. above the waterline to be even with the structure they are servicing to provide a stable platform for workers to transit from the lift boat to the project in which they are working. These versatile vessels can serve through the entire life of a oil or gas well from driving casing to provide a "path" for a jackup rig to drill through construction of the platform, repair and renovation of the platform to plug and abandonment of the well.