Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (May 2012)

Heavy investments in all offshore- related segments are needed--plat- forms, drill ships, OSVs, pipelinesand shipyards.? In 2006, Petrobras made giant dis- coveries in the pre-salt layer located between the states of Santa Catarina and Espírito Santo, where volumes of light oil exist. Last July, OSX, a pub- licly-held Brazilian company, began building the biggest yard in the Americas--the Açu Shipbuilding Unit in the São João da Barra Industrial District in Brazil--with technology from its partner Hyundai Heavy Industries. While Petrobras needs drilling and support vessels, the government is committed to raising local content inequipment and vessels to boost employment. Singapore-based oil services company Sembcorp Marine Ltd. is building its first shipyard in Brazil as Petrobras awards more con- tracts to local suppliers. Sembcorp is competing with other companies forbillions of dollars of drilling vessels that Petrobras will deploy in the Atlantic this decade. In late 2006, Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore opened its Estaleiro Navship yard in Navegantes, Brazil, where it has 1,000 employees- ? the largest workforce of any Chouest-owned yard, company spokesman Lonnie Thibodeaux said. ?To date, we've delivered 21 platform supply vessels from that yard,? he said. ?The current series features 303' clean-design diesel electric PSVs. Two of these have already been delivered to Petrobras, with another to launch at the end of April, another in August, and one more by the end of the year.? Thibodeaux said ?all totaled, Navship has on its books seven PSVs to be delivered over the next two years, as well as two 312', 21,000 hp anchor handlers, which begin con-struction in November.? CATERPILLAR BUILDSONITSBRAZILNETWORK John Shock, offshore sales manager for Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, said Brazil's market for locally built OSVs and for new and existing vessels from other countries is growing. ?Continually increasing, offshore development by Petrobras and other major oil companies isdriving demand for deepwater sup- port vessels,? he said. ?We've seen demand for the full range of deepwww.marinelink.com MN35New Orleans(504) 780-8100 ? Fax (504) 780-8200Norfolk(757) 545-0100 ? Fax (757) 545-8004Houston(281) 452-5887 ? Fax (281) 452-9682www.mcdonoughmarine.comwww.mcdonoughmarine.comLARGEST RENTAL FLEET OF SPUD, DECK AND MATERIAL BARGESBARGES 60 TO 400 LENGTHBARGES 60 TO 400 LENGTH? 16 Fleeting locations inland rivers, Gulf, East and West Coast ? Inland and Ocean towing services LARGEST RENTAL FLEET OF SPUD, DECK AND MATERIAL BARGESMN#5 (32-49):MN 2011 Layouts 5/7/2012 10:03 AM Page 35