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Osvs News

07 Mar 2024

Harvey Gulf Upgrading Liquid Mud Tanks on Five OSVs

(Photo: Harvey Gulf International)

Offshore vessel owner Harvey Gulf International Marine announced it is modifying its fleet of five dual fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG)/diesel electric powered offshore supply vessels (OSV).A key enhancement includes the segregation of Liquid Mud tanks into six isolated independent tank systems, each equipped with dedicated pumping, valve, loading, and discharging systems with zero chance of cross contamination.The first vessel to undergo these modifications, the 310’ DP2 Harvey Liberty


01 Mar 2024

US Offshore Wind: Down but Not Out

© Eric Dale Creative / Adobe Stock

“The winds of change are blowing wild and free.” – Bob DylanIn the U.S. offshore wind industry, developments over recent months have placed an exclamation point on the word “wild”. Yes, the wind still blows “free”, but mounting challenges have proven that harnessing its power offshore is anything but. In fact, far from it, as rising materials costs, high interest rates, labor shortages and supply chain delays, among other issues, have delivered heavy blows to the commercial viability of several projects.

23 Feb 2024

The APAC Offshore Market: Riding the Wave of Success into 2024 and Beyond

Copyright Peter Hermes Furian/AdobeStock

2023 was the first year of real recovery for owners in the offshore supply market and yet we have barely skimmed the surface of what’s to come.The market is still on an upward trajectory with charter rates accelerating month-by-month, availability changing day-by-day, leading to earnings doubling and, in some segments, tripling since the lows of 2020. Current rates will remind many of the glory days of pre-2014 with the demand for OSVs projected to remain elevated for years to come.In general


02 Feb 2024

OSV Owners Reap the Rewards of Data Sharing

L to R: Greg Trauthwein, President, New Wave Media; Eric Griffin, Vice President, Offshore Energy & Fishing, Inmarsat; Maritime Ron Welles, C-Comm Manager, Marine Technologies; Kyle Pemberton, Manager of Engineering, SEACOR; Dain Detillier, Executive Vice President – LNG Operations, Harvey Gulf International Marine.Image courtesy Eric Haun.

A ‘Connected Future’ seminar, organized by Inmarsat in collaboration with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News and moderated by Greg Trauthwein, encapsulated the critical roles technology and data sharing play in enabling more efficient and sustainable workboat operations, and in improving conditions for crew.Insights from leading Offshore Supply Vessel owners and operators capture the extent to which technology and data sharing are driving greater efficiency, sustainability and


09 Nov 2023

Cummins Working with Ocean Infinity on Methanol Retrofit Project

(File photo: Ocean Infinity)

Cummins is working with partners in the U.K. to develop and deploy a methanol conversion kit for an engine aboard an Ocean Infinity offshore support vessel (OSV) as the maritime industry works toward transitioning to cleaner fuels.The engine manufacturer announced its proposal to jointly develop a Methanol Kit for its QSK60 engine was selected to receive funding as part of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, funded by the U.K. government and delivered


01 Nov 2023

Brazilian Offshore Uptick Could Tighten US OSV Fleet

(File photo: Jackson Offshore Operators)

Increased activity in the Brazilian offshore oil and gas sector could help strengthen the market recovery for offshore supply vessels (OSV) in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.In early October, Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras issued requests for quotations (RFQ) for up to 20 OSVs ranging from 3,000 to over 4,500 deadweight tons to support upcoming drilling and production activities. The value of all of these potential long-term charters could approach $1 billion.While Petrobras typically prefers to use Brazilian-flagged vessels


20 Oct 2023

The Power of Offshore Molecule Production

The P2XFloater can be positioned anywhere renewable energy costs are low, resulting in the production of extremely cost competitive green ammonia. Source H2Carrier.

Energy ecosystems are evolving as the value of offshore power-to-X production is being realized.Flexible and delivered in long lengths on reels in a fast-track operation, thermoplastic composite pipeline can transfer up to nine times the amount of energy as a cable and can be used to store hydrogen, increasing the uptime of offshore wind farm generated power.That’s according to Netherlands based supplier Strohm, member of the Hydrogen Offshore Production for Europe (HOPE) project and the Dutch floating green hydrogen and ammonia OFFSET project.

12 Oct 2023

BIO-UV Group Answers the Call for Compact BWTS with 'Smallest' UV BWTS Yet

Credit:BIO-UV Group

UV-based water treatment specialist BIO-UV Group has introduced what it says is arguably the smallest UV BWTS in the marketplace, targeted at meeting increased demand for ballast water treatment systems from operators of workboats, yachts, research ships, OSVs, and similar-sized vessels. The new BIO-SEA L01-0030 Mini – more compact than the company’s existing low-flow BIO-SEA L range – is a fully automated filtration + UV-based system designed to treat ballast water flow rates


05 Oct 2023

Diverse Resources in Desperate Times

© Lukasz Z / Adobe Stock

Offshore services vessels are designed for myriad activities in the maritime industry. But as multifunctional assets, they not only offer utilitarian capabilities that are indispensable for commercial diving, subsea construction, mining, and countless other activities, they can simultaneously serve critical crisis response functions in the aftermath of a disaster.Chaos Ready Inc., a new non-profit marine industry initiative, quantifies and coordinates these versatile resources


25 Sep 2023

Tidewater Inks Global Support Deal with Caterpillar

(Photo: Caterpillar)

Tidewater Inc., the world's largest fleet operator in the offshore support vessel (OSV) industry, has signed a Global Value Agreement (GVA) with engine manufacturer Caterpillar to ensure comprehensive parts, service, monitoring and maintenance support to help reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and increase uptime and availability.Tidewater’s fleet of more than 200 OSVs, including platform supply vessels (PSV), anchor handler towing supply vessels (AHTS), offshore tugs and crew boats


28 Aug 2023

Offshore Wind: US Shipbuilders Answering the Call

From left to right: Lasse Petterson, CEO of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock; Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.; President Joe Biden; and Steinar Nerbovik, CEO of Philadelphia Shipyard (Photo: Philly Shipyard)

It’s a big deal when a U.S. president visits an American shipyard, and these trips always send a message. When President Obama spoke at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in 2013, he warned of the consequences of sequestration. President Trump’s 2020 speech at Fincantieri Marinette Marine touted a $5.5 billion naval contract that gave a welcome boost to the Wisconsin shipyard and its supply chain partners. Most recently, President Biden traveled to Philadelphia’s Philly Shipyard


16 Oct 2023

Future Fuels: Methanol

(Image: Glosten)

Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuels
" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in Glasgow


13 Jul 2023

Hornbeck Offshore Eyes U.S. Offshore Wind Work with OSV-to-SOV Conversion Project

Credit: Hornbeck Offshore Services

U.S. offshore vessel owner Hornbeck Offshore Services, best known for its offshore oil and gas support vessel services, is looking at business opportunities in the growing U.S. offshore wind sector as well as in offshore accommodation services in the oil and gas area.For that, Covington, La. based Hornbeck Offshore said Wednesday it had contracted Eastern Shipbuilding Group to convert one of its recently acquired 280-foot offshore supply vessels (OSV) to a service operation vessel (SOV) to meet the growing demand of the U.S.

19 Jun 2023

Engine Overhaul for Tidewater PSV in Aberdeen

Highland Chieftain (Photo: Royston)

Marine engineering and propulsion specialist Royston has completed the rapid overhaul of a diesel power plant system onboard a Tidewater Marine operated platform support vessel.Royston engineers undertook the 18,000 running hours service of a Scania DI12 harbor generator, which is onboard the 80m length Highland Chieftain, while the vessel was moored in Aberdeen.The work involved the generator being disassembled with manifolds, turbo, rocker gear, critical pumps, pistons, liners


18 Oct 2023

Powering the North American Maritime Fuel Transition

(Photo: Harvey Gulf)

Offshore service vessels, along with workboats serving harbors and inland rivers, have embarked on an industry-wide voyage toward reduced emissions of greenhouse gasses. Professor Craig Philip, a faculty member with Vanderbilt University’s Center for Transportation and Operational Resilience (VECTOR) and former CEO of Ingram Barge Company, provides this context: “The Maritime Sector has long provided shippers with the most fuel-efficient and sustainable freight transport option


01 Jun 2023

Helix Energy Solutions Wins Major Offshore Decommissioning Deal in U.S. Gulf of Mexico

U.S.-based offshore service firm Helix Energy Solutions has secured a 39-well decommissioning contract in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico shelf with an unnamed client. The project, awarded to Helix's Louisiana-based subsidiary Helix Alliance, is expected to start in mid-2023.The scope of work includes the plug and abandonment of 39 wells, 15 pipelines, and seven structures.

27 Feb 2023

Hornbeck Buys Six OSVs from Edison Chouest

HOS Maverick is one of the OSVs acquired by Hornbeck Offshore Services in 2022. (Photo: Hornbeck Offshore Services)

Covington, La.-based offshore vessel owner Hornbeck Offshore Services has reached a deal to acquire six offshore supply vessels (OSV) from an affiliate of its peer Edison Chouest Offshore.Hornbeck announced Monday it entered into a definitive vessel purchase agreement with Edison Chouest's Nautical Solutions to buy the "high-spec new generation" OSVs for an undisclosed cash price. Each of the vessels are U.S.-flagged, Jones Act-qualified, 280 class DP-2 OSVs with capacities of circa 4


30 Jan 2023

OSVs Help to Power North American Maritime Fuel Transition

Just five out of the 1,664 OSVs operate on clean fuel technology in the U.S., and all of them are owned and operated by Harvey Gulf International Marine. Harvey Gulf’s ‘green fleet’ utilizes LNG and Bio-LNG as the main fuel sources. Pictured is Harvey Champion with Corvus Orca energy storage system. Image courtesy Harvey Gulf

The fuel switch in maritime is on, its real, and it will be driving vessel design, construction and operation decisions for decades to come. While many still debate the merits of each alternative fuel, OSV industry leaders are at the forefront driving change, and they need to be, as in North America alone OSVs makes up 17% of the fleet but contributes 29% of the maritime emissions. In the next edition of Offshore Engineer, Barry Parker takes a deeper dive on the plans underway to wean maritime operations off of fossil fuels.

26 Jan 2023

Interview: Brendan Smith, President, Seaward Services

Brendan Smith (Photo: Seaward Services)

Brendan Smith brings more than a decade of maritime experience to his role as president of Seaward Services, a marine services company specializing in the operation, maintenance and repair of government and privately owned vessels. The company is part of the Hornblower Group.During his 6.5 years with the U.S. Navy, he served aboard the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe, and his roles included chemistry and radiological controls assistant (CRA), quality assurance officer (QAO) and combat operations instructor.

27 Sep 2022

Uniwise Offshore Boosts OSV Fleet Cyber-Security with Inmarsat's Fleet Secure UTM

Credit: Inmarsat

Uniwise Offshore, a Thailand-based offshore support vessel (OSV) company, has boosted cyber-security standards across its OSV fleet by adopting technology from Inmarsat, a mobile satellite communications specialist."With reliable connectivity delivered by Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress, Fleet Secure Unified Threat Management (UTM) provides Uniwise with end-to-end functionality to protect its network from cyber-attacks and intrusion via infected devices," Inmarsat said."In the busy Gulf of Thailand, where a majority of Uniwise’s OSVs operate, connectivity is a key requirement.

06 Sep 2022

Steamship Authority Buys Two OSVs to Be Converted to Freight Ferries

HOS Shooting Star (Photo: Steamship Authority)

The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority said it is planning to buy a pair of secondhand offshore supply vessels (OSV) to convert into replacements for two of its aging freight vessels.The sister OSVs, HOS Shooting Star and HOS Lode Star, will be purchased from Covington, La.-based Hornbeck Offshore Services. The 240-foot-long vessels, which were built in 2008 and 2009 respectively and formerly serviced the oil and gas industry off the Gulf Coast, will


29 Aug 2022

How to Stop Injured Vessel Crew from Calling My Law Firm

© Rick Lohre / Adobe Stock

For 20 years, I represented operators of OSVs, jack-ups, semi-submersibles, oil and gas production platforms, harbor tugs, towboats and barges in state and federal court personal injury litigation arising in the Gulf of Mexico, across the Great Lakes and on the inland waterways. For the last decade or so, I have been representing injured crew. In the case of a death or serious injury, sometimes there is little a vessel operator can do to prevent being sued. In my experience, though, many expensive lawsuits could have been avoided had the marine employer handled the situation differently.1.

13 Jun 2022

Demand Grows for OSVs in the Offshore Floating Production and Storage Energy Sector

Copyright Igor Kardasov/AdobeStock

Over the last year we have seen an upswing in floating production and storage systems ordering after many years of low activity. According to our colleagues at World Energy Reports, “The global oil and natural gas markets are contending with rebounding energy demand on top of supply disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, activity and business sentiment in the floating production sector has seldom been stronger.”  This increased activity in the floating production