Offshore Large IMR Vessel Delivered to Bourbon

Press Release February 26, 2013

Bourbon Evolution Series 800 Vessels: Photo credit Bourbon

Bourbon takes delivery of the 3rd vessel in the large Inspection, Maintenance, Repair (IMR) series for the offshore industry.

The Bourbon Evolution 803 is the latest in a series of vessels designed to operate in complete safety at depths of 3000 meters. The first two sisterships already operate in West Africa.

Resource exploration is going into increasingly deep waters and the new milestone for oil and gas marine industry operations is now at 2,500 to 3,000 meters. To meet this requirement, Bourbon has ordered a large series of 10 IMR (Inspection, Maintenance, Repair) vessels called 'Bourbon Evolution 800'.

The Bourbon Evolution 800 vessels meet oil company requirements in terms of operational excellence, risk management and cost optimization in the deep offshore market and feature:

Increased level of redundancy for improved reliability. The installed equipment's redundancy enables vessels in the series to safely provide business continuity on behalf of the customer. The series vessels have 7 diesel-electric generators, 2 machine rooms, 2 electric rooms, 2 VSAT communication systems, 2 cranes that can work simultaneously, 3 stern propellers and 3 bow propellers.
Better maneuverability for completely safe operations. The Bourbon Evolution 800 vessels provide the highest level of dynamic positioning (DP3) in addition to 6 propellers on each vessel.
Interior layout designed for client comfort. In addition to the excellent work and relaxation conditions in the cabins, the Bourbon Evolution 800 vessels are unique in providing clients with a dedicated deck featuring all the features required for optimized management: IT and communication system and wide view of operations.
Reduced operations costs. The Bourbon Evolution 800 vessels are equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system, particularly economical for offshore operations, whose 7 diesel-electric generators provide intelligent and improved energy management thus saving fuel.
The series was designed to provide a range of operational configurations e.g. to accommodate over 200 people (floatel), support well intervention operations (wireline) and well testing operations (well-testing).