Page 34: of Marine Technology Magazine (June 2013)

Swire Announces New Products Swire OilÞ eld Services, LLC, introduced two new products to the Gulf of Mexico region at OTC: SwireÕs Modular Sys- tems division and SAFE (Swire Advanced Fluid Engineering) Tanks address the industryÕs need for offshore workspace so- lutions and more advanced offshore ß uid storage and trans- port. The companyÕs Modular Systems offering is made up of a range of both pressurized and non-pressurized modules, which provide reliable and effective workspace and storage solutions. Initial offerings in the Gulf of Mexico will include 12-foot, 16-foot and 20-foot pressurized ofÞ ces, along with 10-foot and 14-foot non-pressurized workshops. Plug-and- play design promotes the highest levels of operator safety while ensuring operations can begin immediately once onsite. www.swireos.com CSSC-HPS to Build R-550D Jackup Rigs for Alliance CSSC Guangzhou Huangpu Shipbuilding (CSSC-HPS) con- Þ rmed that it is starting the construction of Òtwo plus twoÓ units of jackup drilling rigs capable of operating in 400 Foot Water Depths, using the Zentech design and TSC integrated equipment packages. Alliance Offshore Drilling PTE Ltd. of Singapore is the owner of the R-550D rigs under construction. CSSC-HPS joined with TSC Group Holdings, Ltd., a Cayman Islands company and Zentech, Inc. of Houston, Texas to form a new business model for the design of the basic rig (Zentech), fully integrated drilling equipment and control package (TSC Offshore) and construction at the Huangpu Shipyard. The concept is centered on the patented Zentech R-550D, a high capacity and extended reach jackup drilling rig, rated for 400- foot water depths. This design was approved by the Techni- cal Appraisal Committee, comprised of a blue-ribbon panel of Chinese and international offshore drilling experts, and has also been granted ABS Class approval. Improving Propulsion Systems Ef Þ ciencyGE unveiled a new power and propulsion system that it claims reduces fuel con-sumption by controlling en-gine speed on platform sup-port vessels. The Variable Frequency Active Front-End power and propulsion system, or VF-AFE, enables shipown- ers using conventional power system components to lower engine speeds when feasible, cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions and maintenance requirements, the manufacturer claims. When a support ves- sel is operating in dynamic positioning (DP) mode, the load on the engines is reduced just to counter the effect of wind and waves, but all engines are kept running in order to provide redundancy. This means that if the power from one engine is lost, power is still available from the others to keep the vessel in position. This arrangement while effective is not the most efÞ cient. With VF-AFE, all the engines remain connected, but their speed can be cut when the load is reduced. ÒWe have made a calculation based on speciÞ c operating con- ditions, assuming a fuel price of $900 per ton,Ó English said. ÒWe estimate that with the engines loaded at 50% of rated load for a full year on a ship with 8 megawatts of installed power operating for 300 days a year, 24 hours a day, the fuel savings could be up to $300,000 per year.Ó www.gepowerconversion.com SIDUS? SS250 Pan and Tilt Used with CodaOctopus Echoscope Sonar System SIDUS Solutions was selected to be the Pan and Tilt provider for Penta Ocean, who Þ tted the CodaOctopus Echoscope so- nar system to SIDUSÕ SS250 Pan and Tilt. Penta Ocean aims to monitor and realize the underwater situation in real-time to OTCJune 201334 MTRMTR #5 (34-48).indd 34MTR #5 (34-48).indd 346/3/2013 1:25:31 PM6/3/2013 1:25:31 PM