Wärtsilä Wins Brazil Liftboat Genset & Propulsion Orders

Wärtsilä’s success in Brazilian drill ship programme continues with latest genset and propulsion order for three new liftboats.

This latest in a series of contracts won by Wärtsilä is to supply complete mechanical packages, comprising the generating sets and thrusters, for three new drill ships to be built by Brazilian shipyard ECOVIX. The vessels will be employed in Brazil’s pre-salt offshore oil fields.

The three new drill ships will each be powered by six Wärtsilä 32 generating sets and will feature six Wärtsilä underwater de-mountable thrusters. The special requirements stipulated by the Brazilian authorities have all been met. Delivery of the equipment will begin in 2013.

“The emergence of Wärtsilä as the partner most frequently specified in the DRU [Drill Units] programme is no coincidence. Our experience as a global leader in systems integration, and our successful track record in providing total integrated solutions for the most demanding and difficult offshore applications, adds real value regarding the project completion targets,” says Magnus Miemois, Vice President, Solutions, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

A recent report by the International Energy Agency's (IEA) monthly Oil Market Report forecasts world oil demand reaching 95 million barrels per day in 2016. Extending 500 miles across the Santos, Campos and Espirito Santo basins, Brazil's pre-salt fields hold an estimated 10 billion to 16 billion barrels. These resources could eventually result in Brazil becoming one of the largest producers of oil in the world.