In 2008, some 35 drilling rigs were delivered by Asian and Middle Eastern shipyards. Consequently, there is a strong demand for heavy-lift vessels to transport rigs to their new operating areas. Leading operators have begun to renew their fleets of offshore vessels and related ship types. Around the world, are more than 2,600 offshore support vessels currently operating, and 700 to be delievered over the next four years, which makes it one of the fastest growing of all shipping sectors. It includes subsea construction vessels, heavy-lifting units, pipe-layers, diving support vessels, surveying units, well intervention ships, trenchers and what are collectively known as multi-role support vessels.
An example of a multi-purpose support vessel is the newbuild construction support vessel “Blue Giant”, the second in a series of four heavy-lift vessels, with the benefit of high versatility and flexibility for offshore tasks. The vessel was built at Lloyd Werft shipyard in Germany to serve the construction and maintenance of oil and gas platforms.
Designed to take both floating cargoes as well as roll on-roll off consignments, “Blue Giant” can load objects of up to 5,000 mt depending on the dimensions of the individual item. With its self-sufficient energy and water supply, the vessel is dedicated to special services. There is also accommodation for 197 oil rig maintenance crew and 23 marine crew.
Heavy-lift vessels: purpose-built or multi-role
Heavy-lift vessels are used throughout the offshore industry, providing services for all aspects of operation, from supporting exploration programmes to installing oilfield equipment on the seabed and repairing older systems. Heavy-lift vessels can be purpose-built for any of the wide range of operations undertaken, but also designed to be multi-role.
The multifunctional “Blue Giant” has an overall length of 172.5 metres, a breadth of 25.4 metres and a gross tonnage of 17,341 t. There are 20 pontoon-type tweendeck covers to subdivide the hold at a height of either 6 metres or 4.7 metres. The main deck is strengthened to withstand a loading of 16 t/m² and the centre line docking blocks can support a load of 150 t. Additionally, “Blue Giant” can serve as a drydock for vessels up to 130 metres in length.
Multi-role vessels are often similar in size to large anchor handlers, but can be fitted with a sophisticated crane installed on the deck to perform subsea construction and diving support work.Therefore, ”Blue Giant”, set up for platform inspection and repair, diving support and maintenance, and repair of subsea pipelines, contains three electro-hydraulic cranes with a single lift capacity of up to 350 mt and 700 mt combined. Moreover, the ship is fitted with a DP2 dynamic positioning system, which automatically maintains the vessel’s position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters.
Hamburg-based technical assurance and consulting company Germanischer Lloyd (GL), who classed the vessel, only recently expanded its expertise in the field of dynamic positioning. In early April, GL was joined by Noble Denton, a British company which offers a wide range of offshore services, including delivery and installation of construction and support vessels. Moreover, the company is positioned at the forefront of dynamic positioning services both in assurance and in FMEA and FMECA services. Noble Denton’s experts provide independent technical review of state-of-the-art marine systems.
Blue Giant Chartered by Blue Marine Technology
The 11,000 t tweendecker “Blue Giant” is owned by Dockship II ApS, a 100% subsidiary of Combi Dock A/S, a joint venture between German-based Harren & Partner and Denmark-based J. Poulsen Shipping A/S. Combi Lift chartered the vessel for five years to Blue Marine Technology, a Mexican company active in the maintenance and development of the Mexican offshore oil industry, which hired the vessel for heavy transport between shore and offshore platforms and construction support work for operations by Pemex.
When christened on 1 August 2008, GL’s Executive Board Member Dr Hermann J. Klein complimented the owners of “Blue Giant” on their “technical expertise, entrepreneurial sense and their braveness in offering such a special shipping project on the international market.” The dock ship has as many as two simultaneous godmothers: Bjoerg Felstad and Patricia Durand, both from Blue Marine Technology, which is one of the fastest-growing offshore companies in the Latin American region. Due to their charter, Lloyd Werft converted the vessel into an advanced dynamically positioned offshore support vessel.
Specialised Services
Germanischer Lloyd inspects ships in operation, offers drawing approval for newbuildings and certifies materials and components at more than 200 locations in 77 countries. Originally known for its expertise in container shipping, GL has long extended its portfolio. Heavy transport support vessels are another field of GL’s Maritime Services.
More than 50 heavy-lift vessels are classed by GL and 30 are currently in the order book. Moreover, 920 pontoons are registered with class GL with a further 77 on order. Apart from attending both vessels in service and those under construction, GL is continuously developing its class and construction rules in this particular field.
GL also classes other work boats such as, jack-up vessels, pontoons and supply vessels of all sizes. For all vessels, a number of additional class signs exist, to underline and guarantee the different purposes of each vessel, e.g. in relation to fire-fighting requirements, global positioning or whether they are “equipped for use in a hazardous atmosphere”. The peculiarities and different capabilities of the vessels may thus be easily recognised and presented by all parties involved.
For further information, please contact:
Christoph Witte, +49 40 36149 7534
email: christoph.witte@gl-group.com
