Delta Shipyard Delivers 120-Foot Seismic/Utility Vessel To Shell Oil

Delta Shipyard, a unit of Chromalloy American Corporation, has announced the completion of the M/V Echo, a seismic/utility vessel for Shell Oil Company. Primarily for use in the Gulf of Mexico, the M/V Echo is designed for shallow-water operation with a minimum draft of 5 feet 6 inches.

The Echo will enable engineers to determine the prospects of oil reserves near coastal areas where deep-draft vessels were previously unable to venture.

The Echo measures 120 feet in overall length, 36-foot beam, with a hull depth of 8 feet. Being a triple-screw vessel, her propellers are driven by three General Motors 12V-71 diesel engines rated at 240 horsepower each at 1,800 rpms, through Twin Disc MG 514 reduction gears. Slow-speed maneuverability of the vessel is increased by use of The Waterways Company Steermaster Bow Steering System using a GM 4-71 engine developing 120 horsepower.

All engine controls are manufac tured by WABCO. The steering system was designed by Skipper Hydraulics.

The Echo is equipped with two radars—Decca 916 A and Decca 101. Navigation of the vessel is aided by the installation of a Sperry Auto-Pilot and Gyrocompass.

Equipped with a complete galley and accommodations for 22 men, the Echo can support 24- hour seismic activities in the coastal areas. Delta Shipyard, a unit of Chromalloy American Corporation, is a major shipbuilding and repair facility located in Houma, La., near the intersection of the Houma Ship Channel and Mile 59 Gulf Inland Waterways.

Delta Shipyard serves the fishing, inland barge transportation, dredging, offshore exploration, and the oil production industries.

Chromalloy American Corporation, with offices in St. Louis, Mo., had sales in 1976 of $937,000,000, and operates with 25,000 employees in the United States and 14 foreign countries.

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