Offshore Ship Designers Create New Resource

Three offshore, ship and tug design and technical consulting companies have joined forces to provide a new one-stop resource for oil companies, offshore operators, tug owners, ports and shipyards. Offshore Ship Designers, based in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, bring together the skills, experience, innovation and workforce of naval architects and engineers of Dutch companies Sea of Solutions BV, WorldWise Marine BV and UK-based IMT Marine Consultants. The formation of Offshore Ship Designers follows the acquisition of the majority shareholding in IMT by Sea of Solutions and WorldWise Marine, which was completed at the end of 2006. Current projects underway at OSD include the design of a pipelay/derrick vessel with a 3,000 tonne lift capability for the Larsen & Toubro Sapura Crest joint venture, the design of four 60 tonne bollard pull escort tugs for a Turkish yard, and tender support for numerous PSVs and OSVs for North Sea service. Recent deliveries include four IMT 992 Regional Support Vessels for BP Shipping/BP Exploration Operating Company built at Yantai Raffles Shipyard, and the fifth in a series of seven IMT 948 Standby Vessels for North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Limited built by Astilleros Balenciaga, Spain.