Page 28: of Marine News Magazine (December 2012)

Harvey Gulf International?s effort to build a new class of dual fueled LNG-powered offshore supply vessels (OSV?s) raises the bar higher for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore markets. Among the  rst to be classed under the ABS Guide for Propulsion and Auxiliary Systems for Gas Fueled Ships (May 2011), the vessels will be the  rst dual fueled LNG-powered vessels under US  ag. The new vessels will also receive environmentally-friendly notations from ABS. Designed by naval architects STX, and with construction already underway at Mississippi-based TY Offshore, Harvey Gulf has four of the DP-2 rated (302? x 64?) Dual Fuel Supply Vessels on order, with options for two more. The expected delivery date for the  rst hull could come as soon as mid-November 2013. The exclamation point on the design may well be the STX (patent pending) design of the functional arrangement of a dual fuel OSV. The cost of these vessels is about 16 percent higher than conventional OSV?s, but the payback promises to be remarkably swift; as little as just 2-3 years, dependent on the price for future distillates. In gas mode, the engine currently exceeds the IMO Tier III level for category III engines by about 85%. Finally and taking lessons from what the Norwegians are already doing, the Harvey Gulf vessels will also be  tted with state-of-the-art accommodations, on par with any four star hotel. The sparkling interior depiction that accompanies this narrative is proof enough of that. Harvey Gulf?s Dual Fuel OSV Innovative Boats of 2012INNOVATIVE BOATS OF 2012 INNOVATIVE BOATS OF 2012 CONCEPTS & DESIGN CONCEPTS & DESIGNThis year?s version of our annual ?Great Boats? layout contains something for everyone. That?s because so many innovative designs and concepts were introduced to the market in the past 12 months. Not all of them have been launched, but we?ve nevertheless captured the best of these forward-thinking ideas, along with some stunning artwork so that you can envision the wonder of what is to come next. And, if LNG seems like a common thread, then that?s because it is about to come of age in a world of crushing regulatory demands, ECA?s and the (so far) economical cost of LNG. That makes sense. Also included in this edition are workboats already delivered and put into service over the course of the past year. All of these selections are import ant for different reasons ? environmental features, functionality, homeland security and favorable footage, too. December 201228 MN