Page 45: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (May/Jun 2025)

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By Greg Trauthwein ne of the most powerful heavy-lift vessels ever built is entering a new chapter under

U.S. ownership, reconditioned for major offshore work in the Gulf of America. Re- named the TX-10000, this twin-gantry cat- amaran is at the center of Xenos Marine's

O mission to expand domestic heavy-lift and decommission- ing capabilities, following a major reft at Gulf Copper

Ship Repair.

The TX-10000, previously known as the VB-10000, has a storied history.

Originally commissioned in 2010 by Versabar as a next-generation evolution of the pioneering Bottom

Feeder, the vessel was purpose-built for offshore decom- missioning and salvage in the aftermath of destructive

Gulf hurricanes. With a lifting capacity of 10,000 tons (limited in practice to 7,500 tons due to buoyancy), dy- namic positioning to DP3 standards, and towering hook height of nearly 200 feet, the TX-10000 quickly became a unique asset in U.S. waters.

Now, under the new banner of Xenos Marine — a partnership between longtime marine heavy-lift special- ist Matt Fish and T&T Salvage’s Kevin Teichman— the vessel is poised to play a key role in Gulf of Mexico opera- tions once again.

A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT

For Matt Fish, Managing Director of Xenos Marine, the relaunch of the TX-10,000 represents both a personal and professional milestone. Fish began his offshore career with

Versabar during the development of the Bottom Feeder, later managing operations for the VB-10000 through years of decommissioning and salvage campaigns. One of the most notable was the removal of the Golden Ray car car- rier from the St. Simons Sound in Georgia—a complex project that required slicing the 700-ft. shipwreck into eight sections weighing up to 8,000 tons, using massive mooring chains as cutting tools.

That collaboration between Versabar and T&T Salvage

XENOS MARINE'S TX-10000 laid the groundwork for the current partnership. When the opportunity arose to acquire the vessel from its in- terim owner, Fish and Teichman joined forces to launch

Xenos Marine, with a mission to restore the TX-10000

IS READY FOR DUTY to full operating strength and reintroduce it to the U.S. offshore market.

MAY/JUNE 2025 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 45