Odim News

There’s a new vessel design needling this competitive little shipping town. Still unknown in design circles, the “porpoise-nosed” TwinBow is brainchild to local start-up OilCraft and its wunderkind chief exec, Stian Teige, a self-taught computer renderer. His year-old outfit is going all out presenting designs to the savvy offshore shipping community centered on this picturesque fisheries town with a channel through it. Together with heavyweight joint venture partner LMG Marin — launcher of a thousand ships…

Normand Ranger for Solstad Offshore is delivered from Ulstein Verft May 5. Completion of the anchor handling vessel has been a challenging task but the shipyard delivers the project to the agreed terms within time. Ulstein Verft won the contract with GIEK and Sparebank 1 SR-Bank for completion of the anchor handling vessel last spring. The ship came to Ulstein Verft from the bankrupt shipyard Karmsund Maritime Service in August 2009. Normand Ranger type VS 490 AHTS from Wärtsilä Ship Design.

ODIM Spectrum Ltd., a leading undersea sensor handling system provider for naval air and shipboard  applications, announced it has been awarded an initial phase $5.1m contract for the design, build, test, and delivery of a pre-production Multi-Function Towed Array Handling and Stowage System (MFTA) for the U.S. Navy’s DDG-51 Flight IIA destroyers. Follow-on options include production systems for more than 20 systems valued at about $38m, with production options scheduled to be exercised in 2010. The award is from the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, R.I. In the initial program phase, ODIM will develop a modernized system to handle the MFTA, and the handling systems are a critical element to the overall AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 ASW Combat System modernization for the DDG-51 Flight IIA’s.

A contract worth $10m covering automated handling equipment has been awarded to ODIM by Zhejiang Shipbuilding (Sinopacific Group) in , reports indicated. The delivery comprises four automated ODIM LARS launch and recovery systems for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and two ODIM ABAS deck cranes. The handling equipment is due for delivery in 2009, and will be installed on the two IMR-vessels (inspection, maintenance and repair) being built for Neptune Offshore, . ODIM's Launch And Recovery System (ODIM LARS) is an established industry standard onboard new subsea vessels. The Launch And Recovery Systems will handle remotely-operated vehicles being used in water depths down to 4 000 metres. Source:  Yoursubseanews.com

ODIM secured a contract from Aker Oilfield Services to deliver a 125-tonne ODIM CTCU system. program. This contract also opens the way for deliveries of ODIM CTCU systems to the Aker Oilfield Services newbuilding program, which includes five vessels in addition to the ship covered by the JIP. ‘‘This is an important breakthrough for our deepwater technology ODIM CTCU, and our commitment to the very promising deepwater market,’’ says chief executive Jogeir Romestrand at ODIM ASA. The contract primarily ensures full financing for ODIM’s fabrication and on- field testing of a system with a twofall configuration, which allows players pursuing demanding deepwater projects to install structures weighing up to 250 tons. The system is due for delivery in April 2009.

The newly formed, Dubai-based shipping company Eastern Echo is building four ships of the Ulstein SX124 design. These will be the first seismic vessels of Ulstein design and will be built with the Ulstein X-BOW. In total, five shipowners have chosen this new bow concept. ”Ulstein Design is a young ship design company that has gained much interest worldwide. The contracts with Eastern Echo are important for Ulstein Design, as their portfolio also will cover the seismic area. The engineering department of Ulstein Verft are busy in the development of the project, and for Ulstein Elektro these contracts are all-time highest. The international focus in Ulstein Design is thus important for the Ulstein Group in total, says deputy CEO, Tore Ulstein.

Bourbon Orca (Ulstein AX104) is an AHTS (Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel) and the latest of the modern offshore oil and gas marine service vessels christened recently in Aalesund, Norway. Bourbon Orca, soon to work under contract with Norsk Hydro, is the result of a collaboration between Bourbon Offshore, Ulstein Design and ODIM, which specializes in marine automated systems. In contrast to most existing vessels, on which the bridge projects above the level of the sea, the Bourbon Orca offers the benefits of a revolutionary design with an inverted bow (the trademark Ulstein X-BOW). "Thinking outside the box is a credo at Ulstein Design, a credo that we work to translate into action.

ODIM has signed a contract with the seismic company Fugro Geoteam on delivery of the remaining parts of a complete handlings system for the 3D seismic new building Geo Celtic. In addition to this contract, ODIM received on January 26 the first part of the complete handling system for this vessel. ODIM has over the last years built up a key expertise on electric drive systems for handlings systems to be used aboard 3D seismic vessels. Fugro Geoteam will be the first seismic company to outfit a vessel with an all-electric automated handling system.