Bourbon Takes Delivery of its 500th Vessel

By Eric Haun June 25, 2014

Bourbon Evolution 802, the second vessel in Bourbon’s 800 series. The sixth vessel in that series, Bourbon Evolution 806, marks the company’s 500th vessel. (Photo courtesy of Bourbon

Bourbon celebrates delivery of the 500th vessel, placing the group at the head of the world's largest fleet of vessels operated (vessels owned or on bareboat charter) for the offshore marine services industry.

Bourbon announced the entry into service of its 500th vessel - the Bourbon Evolution 806, the sixth vessel of the first series of vessels for inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) of subsea infrastructure for the offshore industry. Bourbon thus ranks among the world's leading groups for the offshore marine services industry.

According to Bourbon, the latest delivery validates its strategic decision to focus on achieving economies of scale through standardization and construction in series, thus offering its customers a reliable innovative fleet with optimized service quality.

With a fleet of 500 vessels averaging 6.3 years of age, Bourbon operates worldwide with more than 11,000 employees providing local services through 28 operating affiliates who ensure commercial and contractual relationships, as well as local technical support on-site, close to operations. By year-end 2015, the delivery of the 34 vessels under construction will make the fleet even larger and better able to serve the most demanding customers.

Bourbon's standardization policy is best illustrated by the success of its series of vessels:

The Bourbon Liberty series: By the end of 2014, the fleet will include 111 next-generation Bourbon Liberty vessels offering high standards of quality and performance. They have a proven client track record, thanks to their embedded technologies such as the class 2 dynamic positioning system, backup equipment, cargo capacity and the optimization of fuel consumption.
The Bourbon Evolution 800 series: With the delivery of the 500th vessel, Bourbon currently has six Bourbon Evolution vessels in operation (and four more under construction) in this first series of IMR vessels positioned within the deepwater offshore market. With a class 3 dynamic positioning system, these highly reliable vessels have outstanding maneuverability and their backup equipment guarantees optimum safety.
The seismic support vessel series: Bourbon has pioneered the first series of six seismic support vessels, custom designed for CGG that allows the provisioning of fuel, equipment and personnel to seismic vessels ensuring the safety of their operations. Four vessels are already fully operational.
The Bourbon Explorer 500 series: This is a new series of 20 PSV vessels launched in 2014, four of which are already in operation. Their cargo capacity is a real added value, as they have been optimized to supply modern drilling equipment with a large carrying capacity of slurry (drilling lubricant) of 1,500 m3. They can also carry up to 50 people, offering the customer additional accommodation capacity on the oil fields.

As part of its growth strategy, Bourbon not only focuses on construction in series, but also on centralizing maintenance and personnel’s training via a structured industrial organization.

Bourbon Repair Centers: Pooling the fleet's technical support, carried out by the group at the local level makes it possible to provide all subsidiaries with the necessary technical specialists and parts inventories, with six Bourbon Repair Centers deployed close to their operations.
Standard exchange: Thanks to its Plug & Play standard exchange system Bourbon is able to replace all of its propulsion units with new or reconditioned components, thus eliminating the need for the vessel to remain in the repair center. Standard replacements reduce repair time to the strict minimum.
Bourbon Training Centers: Bourbon's 15 Training Centers contribute to standardizing the company's worldwide training efforts for all crews. As the fleet becomes more and more standardized, specific training programs have been put together to perfectly meet the safety requirements and the quality of service provided to the customer.

The vessels standardization policy and centralization of maintenance allow Bourbon teams to ensure customers operational continuity as well as achieving high levels of technical availability of 94.5% in 2013.

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