Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (April 2006)

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38 • MarineNews • April 2006

By Larry Pearson

With the drilling malaise over in the

Gulf of Mexico, Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), Galliano, La., is shifting its build- ing program into high gear. ECO not only owns and operates its own fleet of off- shore services vessels, it also builds most of them in its two shipyards in southern

Louisiana. The ECO fleet in the Gulf long ago passed the 100 mark and the pace of building is escalating now that the daily rates for these vessels and the over- all fleet utilization are at near record lev- els.

Supply Boats

For the last four years ECO has been building the largest supply boats working in the Gulf of Mexico from both a size and deadweight standpoints. Eight of the 280-ft. long supply boats have been deliv- ered and are working in the Gulf of Mex- ico for Shell, BP and other major oil com- panies. Chouest has indicated it will build another 10 of these vessels, all slated for delivery in the next 24 months. "We will continue to take the financial risks neces- sary if the shipyards continue to produce vessels of such outstanding quality," said

Gary Chouest, president of ECO.

The ninth vessel Dante was delivered in

February by the Larose, La. shipyard and the tenth, Allie Chouest joined the fleet in

March from the Houma shipyard.

With a width of 60 ft. and a hull depth of 24 ft., these boats will offer huge liq- uid, dry bulk and cargo capacities and the ability to work in the deepest part of the

Gulf in sea states that would keep other vessels in port. "These vessels have super liquid and dry cargo capacities to serve multiple platforms on a single trip," said

Roger White, senior VP of ECO.

Deadweight tonnage is 4,800 tons more than twice that of a typical GOM supply boat. Among the outstanding holding capacities are 15,415 barrels of liquid mud and a clear rear deck area of over 10,000 sq. ft. with a capacity of 2,700 long tons of cargo.

Propulsion power is via a pair of Cater- pillar 3608 engines, rated at 3,600 hp each. The engines each drive a duplex gear that outputs to a shaft driven pro- peller and a 1.2 MW shaft generator.

Three Caterpillar 3508 engines drive a pair of gensets and the drop down bowthruster. The two gensets provide ships power including two thrusters dri- ven by electric motors, one in the bow and one in the stern.

In addition to huge amounts of water, fuel oil and liquid mud the 280- series can haul more than 87,000 gallons of methanol, that is injected in deep water flow lines to keep the oil flowing in super cold deepwater environments.

The vessels also feature DP-2 capabili- ties and an advanced pilothouse supplied by ECO affiliate Marine Technologies.

AHTS

Vessels that can set suction piles and other deep water infrastructure are in great demand in the Gulf. ECO is building three such vessels with options for three more. These new vessels will feature a new propriority hull design that is 280 ft. long with 16,000 hp class DP2, 200 MT bollard pull with a deadweight tonnage capacity of 4,236 long tons. The new ves- sels will be equipped with a 500 MT three-drum winch with wire capacity of 27, 0345 ft. of 4.25-in. wire and sec- ondary winches with capacity of 33,160 ft. on five-in. diameter rope.

The first two of these vessels will be delivered are scheduled for delivery the first and third quarters of 2007.

In the second quarter of 2008, ECO will take delivery of a new generation 348-ft.

AHTS.

It will also be of the 16,000 hp class with a 600 MT four-drum winch and greater wire and rope capacities. It will boast a deadweight tonnage of 5, 111, sec- ond in the fleet to the anchor handler

Laney Chouest that has 6,265 deadweight tons. "All of these new generation anchor handlers have been designed to meet the challenge of increased requirements for the installation and recovery deepwater mooring systems," said ECO President

Gary Chouest.

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Circle 230 on Reader Service Card

Chouest Building Program Shifts into High Gear

The Dionne Chouest, a 280-ft. supply boat on sea trials last year.

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