conference review vessel design
OSV designs becoming more diverse
Chinese shipyards, such as Sinopacific, have developed their own OSV designs and US owners are ordering more advanced vessel designs from US shipyards
T
he diversity of OSV design was a key area of discussion on the second day of the Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference, with presentations on how the US and Chinese markets are progressing. Chinese shipyards have gained huge orders for offshore vessels. Many of the vessels are designed for Asian markets where much of the drilling operations involve jack-up rigs, but the move into deeper waters, especially offshore China, has led to more specific requirements for higher-specification OSVs.
Many of the Chinese-built vessels are mobilised outside of Asia to West Africa and the Middle East. With the help of European and North American vessel designers, Chinese shipbuilders have expanded their own range of vessels. Sinopacific Shipbuilding, for example, has
worked with major OSV designers to produce a range of moderately complex vessels and develop its own designs. Its ability to produce high-quality
Simon Liang: Sinopacific has built other companies’ designs and is now building its own Sinopacific has developed its own designs
vessels came about through a combination of loyalty from owners, technology transfer, and the development of advanced and standard manufacturing processes. According to the shipbuilder’s chairman and chief executive, Simon Liang, Sinopacific worked with Guido Perla & Associates (GPA) and Ulstein to design and build platform supply vessels (PSVs) and anchor handlers. Its largest contract involves construction of 76 vessels for Bourbon Offshore. This includes the Liberty 100 series of GPA654 design and Liberty 200 class of GPA254 design ships. “These vessels use 20-30 per cent less fuel than other comparable OSV designs, have 30 per cent more cargo capacity and redundant propulsion to optimise availability,” Mr Liang said. Sinopacific
has also multipurpose vessels built more complex of GPA696 design with
offshore knuckle-boom cranes and aft helidecks. Its work with Ulstein resulted in the use of Ulstein’s X-Bow concept on the PX105 design PSVs and SX130 inspection, maintenance and repair vessels. Through its co-operation with these designers,
14 I Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference and Awards 2012
including SPP17, SPP35 and SPU1000 designs for PSVs, and SPA80 design for an 80-tonne bollard pull anchor handler. It is developing a SPP45/50 design of PSV and designs for anchor handlers with bollard pulls of 225-250 tonnes. The SPP50 design PSV is a DP2 5,400 dwt, 89m-long vessel with 1,100m2 of deck area with 3,300 tonnes deck cargo capacity with 10 tonne/m3 deck strength. This is compared with the SOO35 design PSV, which has more below-deck storage capacity. It has 9,000 barrels capacity for drilling mud deliveries and 250m3 for methanol storage. The ongoing changes in design of US-flagged OSVs were also discussed at the conference. New technology has been adopted by US owners and shipyards on recent vessel orders. The push into ultra-deepwater has opened up a market for
large, US-flagged anchor handlers and
PSVs. Despite the downturn in drilling levels in 2010 due to the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo oil disaster, US owners have continued to invest in modern OSVs, classed by ABS.
Owners are ordering larger vessels with more environmental design features. ABS’s director of technology and business development, Bill Lind, told the conference. “A number of considerations are affecting the OSV market. One is the fact
that compliance with international standards has become the norm. Another is the size and complexity of new designs has led to the expanded use of project management and greater client oversight through electronic engineering management systems. “The
rapidly growing global OSV fleet
comprises larger OSVs and those designed as multipurpose
vessels with capabilities that
reflect the changing world of exploration and production [E&P] operations.
“The Macondo incident has led to a focus on oil-spill response capabilities, and the move into harsher operating environments has necessitated the development of OSVs capable of working in much more demanding conditions. Another design consideration that is on the table now is whether newbuild OSVs should be dual- fuel or even LNG-fuelled vessels.” In reaction to the interest in LNG-fuelled ships, ABS published a guide in May 2011. It also published a new guide for all OSVs in June 2011. This contains several notations in recognition of the changing face of the OSV fleet, which now includes multifunction vessels, Mr Lind added. The gas-fuelled ships reference document includes guidelines from IMO and the International Gas Code. OSJ
www.osjonline.com
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