Blue Marlin Serves as Floating Drydock for SemiSub

The first job of the recently jumboized heavy transport vessel Blue Marlin is the transport of the the Dai Hung I semi-submersible production platform of VietsovPetro from an offshore location to Hyundai-Vinashin's yard in Nha Trang, Vietnam, where the Blue Marlin will serve as a dry-dock facility. Dockwise was awarded the contract by Hyundai-Vinashin of Nha Trang in Vietnam for the transport and dry-docking of the 13,200 tons semi-submersible production platform Dai Hung I, as no local dry-docking facilities were available. The Dai Hung I was loaded on January 31, approximately 20 miles offshore Nha Trang and transported to the yard. The unit has a length of 108.2 m, a width of 67.36 m and a height of 80 m. As the Dai Hung I has been tranversely positioned on the 63 m wide deck of the Blue Marlin the pontoons of the Dai Hung I created an overhang of 25.7 m to starboard and 19.5 m to port. After completion of dry-docking the Blue Marlin will redeliver the Dai Hung I to it offshore location, which is expected on February 28, 2004. Although the weight of the Dai Hung I did by far not reach the full capacity of the Blue Marlin with a deadweight capacity of 76.061 tons, it is a new milestone for Dockwise. It was the first time ever that this type (Aker H-3) of semi-submersible has been transported or dry-docked by Dockwise. Because the internal structure of this type of unit needs sufficient footprint, it used to be very difficult to dry-transport. But with the increased width of the Blue Marlin to 63 meters, Dockwise is now able to provide an excellent platform for the Dai Hung I or other Aker H-3 types to be transported or dry-docked.