Page 16: of Marine Technology Magazine (March 2007)

16 MTR March 2007

Offshore news

Superior Acquires Warrior

Superior Energy Services completed the acquisition of Warrior Energy Services

Corporation, a natural gas and oil well services company. Under the agreement, which was approved by Warrior's stock- holders at a special meeting, Superior acquired Warrior for approximately $175 million in cash and 5.3 million shares of common stock.

Aker Kvaerner Wins Contract

Atlantia awarded Aker Kvaerner a $23m contract for installation of a semi-sub- mersible floating production unit (FPU) for the Thunder Hawk development sys- tem in the Gulf of Mexico. Atlantia will be the client and owner of the FPU and

Murphy Exploration and Production

Company will operate the platform. Aker

Kvaerner will install the spread mooring system, transportation and hook up of the

FPU. The marine installation is planned to commence in 2Q 2008, using the off- shore construction vessel, BOA Sub C. The

Thunder Hawk facility which will be based on Atlantia's deep draft rig will be moored in 1,800 m of water and equipped to pro- duce up to 60,000 barrels of oil and 70 million standard cu. ft. of gas per day.

Ensco To Use Tesco

Equipment On Offshore Rigs

Tesco Corporation has entered into an equipment placement agreement with

Ensco Offshore Company to provide its proprietary Casing Drive System (CDS) onto Ensco's offshore rigs. Ensco Offshore

Co., based in Broussard, La., is a full serv- ice drilling contractor operating in the

Gulf of Mexico and South America.

Aker Kvaerner to Deliver

Deepwater Drilling Riser

Maersk Contractors awarded Aker

Kvaerner a contract to deliver a spare riser for their ongoing semi-submersible drilling rig building program. The spare riser comes in addition to orders received in 2005 and 2006 for three complete riser systems to be delivered from 2008 to 2010.

The first of four riser systems will be deliv- ered in January 2008 and manufacturing of riser joints for Maersk starts in May this year. The projects are on schedule and included in the deliveries are the new Aker

Kvearner telescopic joint / tension ring sys- tems which provide enhanced environ- mental protection with a triple packer sys- tem.

ECO to Build 30 New Ships

Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) will build several new anchor handling towing supply vessels (AHTS), as well as more than a dozen new generation 280-ft. platform supply vessels (PSV) in its affiliated shipyards in the U.S. Construction highlights feature seven new anchor handlers: Two 348-ft., 21,600 hp new generation anchor handlers and five 288-ft., 16,000 hp vessels. Also slated for construction are fourteen 4,700-dwt PSVs. All the vessels are slated for delivery between February 2007 and mid-2010, and will be constructed at ECO affiliated shipyards:

North American Shipbuilding (NAS) in Larose, LA, North American Fabricators (NAF) in Houma, LA and Gulfship in Gulfport, MS. One year ago ECO announced plans for the first three AHTS ves- sels, and has now ordered the equipment for the additional four. "ECO continues to provide the new generation vessels that meet the requirements of the deepwater operators," said ECO

President Gary Chouest. The first 288 x 66 x 29.5-ft. AHTS, the Max Chouest, is slated for deliv- ery in March 2007 from NAS. The Joshua Choust, the next 288-ft. AHTS vessel in the series, is due for delivery in November 2007 from NAS. Three more are to follow with delivery dates at six-month intervals beginning in mid-2008. These vessels feature 200 MT bollard pull, DP2, increased capacities for both deck and below-deck cargoes and a deadweight tonnage of 4,236

LT. The ships will also be equipped with a 500 MT three-drum winch, secondary winches, chain lockers, dual tow pins, shark jaws and stern rollers. The first 348 x 72 x 31-ft. AHTS in the series, the Dino Chouest, is scheduled for a May 2008 delivery from NAS. An identical ship is slated for delivery in June 2009 from NAS. These vessels are also DP2, 210 MT bollard pull, new generation anchor handlers similar in size to the Laney Chouest, a 348-ft. AHTS.

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